1838.J Geology of the Kdsya Mountains, 69 



The insulated situation of the coal measures at Chirra Punji affords 

 an excellent opportunity for their examination, owing- to the great extent 

 of surface which is free from soil and alluvium, so that the geologist 

 has no obstacle to encounter but the dense vegetation peculiar to the 

 climate. 



The great sandstone composing here as elsewhere the base of the 

 coal measures, forms the lofty front of the mountains facing the plains. 

 The lower beds consist of a coarse conglomerate, as already stated, repre- 

 sented at i, in the preceding section, resting on greenstone after the 

 manner of similar conglomerates in nearly all countries in which their 

 fundamental rocks have been observed*. When we consider that this 

 is not merely the case with the sandstone of the Kdsya mountains, but 

 that the whole series of sandstones throughout Central India rest on 

 the flanks of ranges of sienite, greenstone, and basalt, we cannot apply 

 more appropriate language in elucidation of this general feature in our 

 geology, extending as it does over an area of 1800 geographical miles 

 in length, and 300 in breadth, than the following remarks of De la 

 Beche : — " As we can scarcely conceive such general and simultaneous 

 movements in the interior strata immediately preceding the first deposit 

 of the red sandstone series, that every point on which it reposes was 

 convulsed and threw off fragments of rocks at the same moment ; we 

 should rather look to certain foci of disturbance for the dispersion of 

 fragments, or the sudden elevation of lines of strata, sometimes perhaps 

 producing ranges of mountains in accordance with the views of M. Elte 

 de Beaumont." Had this idea resulted from observations in India, 

 rather than in Europe, it could not have been more appropriate, or 

 formed so as to convey a more accurate notion of the nature and con- 

 nexions of our red conglomerates. 



Ascending through the series of beds of this rock in the Kdsya moun- 

 tains, we find the coarser strata occasionally reappear, succeeded again 

 by the normal beds which are fine, durable, and grey colored. 



In some places, but especially when approaching the upper third of 

 the series, the colors become variegated, and ultimately the whole, or 

 nearly so, assume a brick red color. The higher strata form a barren 

 table-land with lengthy sloping summits extending to the distance of ten 

 miles towards the interior of the mountains. 



* Speaking of the porphyry on which the red conglomerates of Devonshire rest, 

 De La Beche observes (Manual Geol. 388), — " When however we extend our 

 observations, we find that our conglomerates are very cbaracteristic of deposits 

 of the same age in other parts of Britain, Fiance, and Germany, and they most 

 frequently tbough not always rest on disturbed strata." 



