JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY 



No. II.— 1854. 



Memorandum on the Geological structure and Mineral resources of 

 the Singhbhoom Division, South-West Frontier Agency. By Copt. 

 J. C. Hatjghton, late Assistant to the Governor- General* s Agent 

 in the South-West Frontier. 



In order to clearly understand the G-eology of the country to 

 which this memorandum refers, it appears desirable to allude also 

 to the principal geographical features connected with it, as they 

 present themselves. 



To the North West lies the table of Chota Nagpore, the general 

 level of which is between 1,200 and 2,000 feet above that of the 

 sea. The base of this table-land appears to be gneiss, passing in 

 some places into granite. It is usually covered by quartz, gravel, 

 and ferruginous clay. The gravel has the appearance of being 

 formed on the spot from the disintegration of quartz, its chief 

 component, and except in the beds of streams, is not rolled. 



The gneiss in many places, rises into domes and conical hills of 

 no great elevation. These are occasionally giant masses of solid 

 rock, which must have been protruded in a semi-liquid state. In 

 other instances they consist in huge fragments promiscuously heaped 

 together, as though the upheaval of the rock were accomplished by 

 sudden violence, applied after it had become consolidated. The 

 quartz is often found almost alone, and frequently contains large 

 crystals of schorl. 



The tableland of Chota Nagpore gives rise to the Damooda 

 flowing South East into the Hooghly and the Sooburno Eekha and 

 No. LXVL— New Sebies. Vol. XXIII. p 



