1842.] Geology of Bundelcund and Jubbulpore. 395 



highest does so only on a small degree. Though evidently enter- 

 ing upon a mountainous country here, we are surprized to observe no 

 general elevation of the surface ; the same flatness of the plains 

 continuing as on the opposite side of the Jumna, and the hills rising 

 abruptly from a common level, like so many islands rearing themselves 

 out of the ocean. They are, in fact, mere pictures on dry land of 

 the rocky Madeira, Porto Santo or the Canaries, as seen in the voyage 

 from England to India. At the village of Gerawah, twelve miles from 

 Banda, we reached the second series. The general figure of these hills 

 like the former mentioned is pyramidal, and they may be said in this 

 respect, to resemble a fragment of the granite which composes them. They 

 stretch from the village of Gerawah* in two or three directions, the 

 line of some crossing that of others, and notwithstanding their irregu- 

 larity as a range, they appear to follow individually particular series, and 

 we can trace a succession of isolated rocky elevations, forming a sort 

 of chain across the country. The largest of these situate to the right 

 of the village, has at its summit a rock of a white colour like chalk, 

 which I regretted the distance prevented me from examining. The 

 others are composed entirely of granite similar to the rock at Banda, 

 and present in general, the same deficiency of arrangement. There 

 is, however, one apparent exception at the highest part of the hill 

 immediately overlooking the village ; there the piles have assumed 

 the appearance of basaltic columns standing perpendicularly with 

 four sides, and at a small distance, seem to be a superincumbent 

 stratum of a different formation from the others underneath. On 

 approaching as near as I could, I found the rock essentially the 

 same however, but was at a loss to account for this peculiarity in 

 its outward form. As I moved along the projecting blocks and ledges of 

 this hill, I was particularly struck with the extreme heat which they 

 retained. Although the sun had gone down some time on the op- 

 posite side, this was still so great as to be barely tolerable to the hand, 

 and the atmosphere over them was proportionately elevated in its 

 temperature.* 



The country around here displays a thousand charms, compared with 

 the district near the Jumna. The roads are dry, and the rocky eleva- 

 tion in front having a covering of beautiful shrubs entwined with every 

 variety of climbing plant, which give quite a new feeling to the mind on 



* Sp. No. 1 to 3. 



3 G 



