LATERITE, 12 



VIII.— LATERITE, 



Laterite is frequently observed in small outcrops on the 800-foot 

 plain in Kalahandi state and in Nawrangapur taluq to the west, but 

 it attains its highest development as a capping for the highest of the 

 hills which rise from the 3,000-foot plateau. These hills usually rise 

 from a base of charnockite or granitoid gneiss, the main mass being 

 made up of Khondalite or sillimanite schist, while they are usually flat- 

 topped and capped with a shell of laterite from 80 to 200 feet in thick- 

 ness. The maximum altitude of these laterite capped hills is a little 

 over 4,000 feet or 1,000 feet as viewed from the 3,000-foot plateau. 



One of the hills of this class was visited by Mr. Ball, 1 who without 

 examining the others farther east, recognised them as of the same 

 geological structure as Baplaimali which he examined. In Ganjam 

 district, to the east of Kalahandi, similar laterite capped hills were 

 observed by Mr. Smith. 



Viewed from the top of one of these hills the others of similar 

 origin are easily recognised by their flat tops which all appear to rise 

 to about the same altitude as if remnants preserved from the denuda- 

 tion of a once continuous laterite sheet. The small plateaux are 

 almost devoid of forest growth or even of grass, as there does not 

 appear to be sufficient soil to support vigorous vegetation. 



The frequent occurrence of perennial springs of clear cool water 

 from beneath these laterite caps has been mentioned by both Ball and 

 Smith. A very good example occurs a short distance south of Korla- 

 pat, where in March, in the dry season, I noticed a tiny rill which 

 dashed down the precipitous face of one of these hills, to be utilised 

 to irrigate a second rice crop in the fields of the valley below. 



Such occurrences of laterite at altitudes of 3)000 to 4,000 feet have 

 been frequently studied under the name of high level laterite, though 

 up to the present no very satisfactory account of their origin has been 

 arrived at. 



1 Loc, cit. 



