394 Geology of Bundelcund and Jubbulpore. [No. 125. 



dull coarse black earth, not unlike the half-digested soil of moss-lands 

 at home. This dark soil is still more striking on the Bundelcund side, 

 and continues almost the whole way to Besseramgunge. It seems to 

 contain a larger proportion of argillaceous earth and vegetable recrement, 

 than the lands on the left bank of the Jumna, and that generally observ- 

 ed in the Upper Provinces of India. 



The Jumna, where the passage is made, is a smooth gently flowing 

 stream. The banks shew no rock, but are high and perpendicular, and 

 when viewed from the opposite shore along with the Kane, (which here 

 joins its waters to the Jumna,) they look rather interesting, and are 

 devoid of the dullness which characterizes the banks of the united 

 rivers below Allahabad. 



On approaching the town of Banda, distant two marches or about 

 twenty miles from the river, several small hills are seen in the West, 

 like erections for flagstaff's posted at regular intervals. They are of a 

 conical, or rather pyramidal figure, and appear to run in one line from 

 N. W. to S. E. One of these rises from the plain close to Banda. It 

 is about three or four hundred feet high, and divided at the upper part 

 into two or more smaller elevations, of which the central alone termi- 

 nates with a pointed summit. The appearance of this hill from below is 

 singular and fantastic ; huge masses of stone presenting themselves in 

 every position, and seeming quite unconnected the one with the other, 

 while the few shrubs growing out from between them, serve as a 

 contrast to the nakedness of the rock. On ascending the hill, we find 

 this to be a reddish small-grained granite, having no regular arrange- 

 ment, but lying in blocks of great size, some perpendicular, and others 

 horizontal, with a convex or rounded surface in general. Many of these 

 are scaling off; but the greater part remain perfectly entire, and 

 possess more compactness of integrant structure than any rocks of the 

 kind I have met with. 



This hill at Banda may be considered to be the termination of the 

 first of many series which traverse Bundelcund from W. to E., as no 

 more are observed here. Following that line, soon after leaving Banda 

 to the South, other hills come into view, and at first sight appear 

 larger than the one at that place. This is chiefly owing to the effect 

 distance, increased by the dewy air of the morning ; for on a near ap- 

 proach, we find these not to exceed the congeries at Banda, or the 



