1844.] from Masulipatam to Goa. 989 



Laterite bed of Beder. — The laterite bed of Beder commences about 

 16 miles ESE. from that city ; it is first seen resting on the trap in a 

 bed about 100 feet thick, forming a hill, shaped like a truncated cone, 

 about two miles SW. from the village of Sungum. Thence it continues 

 capping the trap with little interruption, and forming the surface rock 

 of the level and extensive tract of table land on which the city of Beder 

 stands. The laterite bed terminates to the west about 12 miles WNW. 

 from Beder, descending to the plain by a short, but steep declivity 

 and at its basis the trap is again seen. It is about 28 miles in extent 

 from ESE. to WNW. and about 22 miles, from WSW. to ENE. Its 

 average thickness is about 100 feet, and maximum 200 feet ; it rises from 

 the trap of the plain in abrupt, and sometimes precipitous acclivities. The 

 cliffs supporting this table land of laterite on the northern and eastern 

 sides, are from 100 to 200 feet high, but much lower and less abrupt on 

 the W. side where the general level of the country appears to rise. The 

 general direction of the cliff line, marking the termination of the bed 

 near Beder, is E. by S. but the outline is irregular, the cliffs forming 

 salient and re-entering angles. 



The plain on the summit is almost one monotonous level, and less 

 broken by nullahs than is generally the case on table lands. This ap- 

 pears in part owing to the rain water being mostly drained off through 

 the porous structure of the rock before it has time to collect. 



The height of this table land above the sea, as barometrically taken 

 by Voysey, is 2359 feet, about 200 feet lower than the indications 

 afforded me by means of the boiling point of water. Sheets of 

 bare laterite impart a barren appearance to portions of its sur- 

 face. The soil resulting from the disintegration of the laterite, is 

 brown or reddish, gravelly or pulverulent, according to the varying 

 petrographical structure of the parts of the rock of which it is 

 composed. The soil formed from the dark and silicious varieties 

 is usually sterile, but that from the softer and more argillaceous va- 

 rieties is carefully cultivated, producing abundant mungdri, or early 

 crops. The yellow juare and bajra grown on it are said by natives 

 to be sweeter than those produced by any other soils. It seems 

 probable that among other causes of the sterility for which later- 

 itic soils have been abused may be ranked that of the porous 

 character of the laterite when it forms the substratum which carries 



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