264 On the Strata of the Dudb Alluvium, [Ma?, 



far the best crops of any land in the neighbourhood of the Jumna. 

 Many of these deposits (which occur at every turn of the river) are 

 several feet above its present highest levels ; these, however, the river 

 by having deepened in its course since their formation, rather dimi- 

 nishes than increases by washing out those veins of sand, (parallels 

 to the 2nd regular alluvial stratum of the Duab general alluvium,) 

 from one to six inches thick, which are invariably interstratified with 

 this deposit : the more compact alluvial stratum above these veins be- 

 ing deprived of their support, separate and fall into the water in 

 flakes, when, if the current is not too violent, the base of another de- 

 posit is formed, corresponding to the levels attainable by the river in 

 its present bed, causing the upper surface of the united deposits, either 

 to slope gradually towards the deep part of the channel, or the junc- 

 tion to be marked by a step or steep slope. All those, however, 

 which are covered with only a few inches of water at the highest 

 levels receive an additional deposit of sediment, which, however tri- 

 fling, answers the purposes of the best manure. 



2nd. Of the Rocks. 



This term (as understood on the Jumna) is applied to four distinct 

 formations, namely — 1st, superior sandstone; 2nd, volcanic; 3rd, isolat- 

 ed masses, the remains of beds of nodule kankar, and 4th, conglome- 

 rate rocks, composed of kankar and extraneous substances. 



1st. Of the superior Sandstone. The only strata of this formation 

 occur at intervals between the neighbourhoods of Barriari and 

 Dhowrie, two villages on the right bank of the river, and near Mhow, 

 a village in the Bundelkhand. 



Near Barriari a great deal of good stone for building purposes, and 

 of any dimensions, is quarried, (fig. 1. PI. 3. spec. 1.) and sent to 

 Allahabad. Very good stones are also procured from many parts of 

 the bank near the above places, by removing two or three feet of 

 loose earth or clay. It is fine grained, and very similar in colour 

 and quality, to that procured from the neighbourhood of Bhurtpore. 

 In fact I believe them to be portions of the same stratum, but am not 

 sufficiently acquainted with the geological features of Bundelkhand (the 

 intervening tract) to make the assertion. 



A portion of this stratum, thrown together in large masses by vol- 

 canic irruption, forms the curious little rocky island on which a Shiwa- 

 la is so picturesquely perched in the centre of the river opposice the 

 village of Dhowrie, about two days' journey from Allahabad. 



The other stratum occurs at Mhow only, and extends more than one- 

 third cross the river, and is so friable and coarse as to be totally 

 unfit for any useful purpose. Occupying its present situation, it 



