﻿THE 
  EPICENTRAL 
  TRACT. 
  135 
  

  

  there 
  is 
  a 
  fringe 
  of 
  low 
  hills 
  between 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  highlands 
  

   and 
  the 
  plains 
  of 
  Maimansingh. 
  To 
  the 
  east, 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  flexure 
  

   and 
  faulting 
  bends 
  round 
  to 
  the 
  north-east 
  and 
  appears 
  to 
  become 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  outlying 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Patkoi 
  or 
  Barel 
  system 
  of 
  disturb- 
  

   ance 
  ; 
  but 
  too 
  little 
  is 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  these 
  parts 
  to 
  

   assert 
  this 
  with 
  certainty. 
  

  

  Viewed 
  from 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  higher 
  points 
  the 
  plateau 
  character 
  of 
  

   this 
  mass 
  of 
  mountains 
  is 
  conspicuous. 
  From 
  Mao-phlang, 
  for 
  instance, 
  

   the 
  view 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  low, 
  round 
  topped 
  ridges, 
  all 
  rising 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  

   general 
  level 
  and 
  separated 
  by 
  shallow, 
  open 
  valleys, 
  generally 
  

   having 
  a 
  flat, 
  peaty 
  bottom. 
  The 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  

   one 
  which, 
  to 
  use 
  a 
  term 
  for 
  which 
  we 
  are 
  indebted 
  to 
  the 
  Ameri- 
  

   can 
  geologists, 
  has 
  been 
  ( 
  base-levelled/ 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  say, 
  has 
  been 
  worn 
  

   down 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  subaerial 
  denudation 
  till 
  rain 
  and 
  river 
  can 
  

   have 
  but 
  little 
  further 
  effect 
  in 
  altering 
  its 
  form. 
  Such 
  a 
  form 
  of 
  

   surface 
  could 
  never 
  have 
  originated 
  on 
  these 
  hills 
  in 
  their 
  present 
  

   form 
  ; 
  it 
  points 
  to 
  a 
  much 
  lower 
  elevation, 
  and 
  a 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  charac- 
  

   ter 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  is 
  even 
  now 
  going 
  on, 
  for 
  everywhere 
  deep, 
  steep 
  sided 
  

   gorges 
  have 
  been 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  elevated 
  mass 
  from 
  the 
  lowlands 
  

   on 
  either 
  side. 
  The 
  contrast 
  between 
  these 
  deep 
  gorges 
  and 
  the 
  

   open, 
  shallow 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  uplands 
  is 
  striking, 
  and 
  what 
  is 
  im* 
  

   portant 
  to 
  note, 
  as 
  showing 
  the 
  geologically 
  recent 
  date 
  of 
  the 
  

   upheaval, 
  the 
  transition 
  from 
  one 
  type 
  of 
  valley 
  to 
  another 
  is 
  abrupt. 
  

   The 
  deep 
  gorges 
  run 
  up 
  into 
  the 
  hill 
  mass, 
  maintaining 
  their 
  

   depth 
  for 
  a 
  varying, 
  but 
  generally 
  considerable, 
  distance 
  ; 
  then 
  

   comes 
  a 
  comparatively 
  short 
  stretch 
  of 
  steep 
  gradient, 
  waterfalls 
  

   and 
  cascades, 
  and 
  the 
  valley 
  passes 
  abruptly 
  into 
  the 
  open 
  base- 
  

   levelled 
  type 
  of 
  the 
  highland 
  plateau, 
  which 
  has 
  as 
  yet 
  been 
  

   uninfluenced 
  by 
  the 
  altered 
  conditions 
  consequent 
  on 
  the 
  change 
  of 
  

   elevation. 
  

  

  The 
  deep 
  gorges 
  are 
  not, 
  however, 
  the 
  only 
  places 
  where 
  steep 
  

   and 
  high 
  slopes 
  are 
  seen. 
  Traversing 
  the 
  plateau 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   what, 
  seen 
  from 
  one 
  side, 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  high 
  ranges, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  

  

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