18G8.] Geological features of Bhootan Dooars. 121 



miles, these end at Rangali Bujna in abrupt but low scarps much 

 intersected with ravines. This scarp is seen on the left hand on the 

 road following the right bank of the Boro Torsa that leads to Balla ; 

 its materials appear to have been carried out this distance by the 

 above river, and are of very recent origin. About four miles from 

 Tazigong, the site of the Bhutea stockade, the spurs from the 

 mountains abut on the river, and a new and isolated feature in the 

 geology of this part occurs. The rock is a hard compact limestone 

 very similar to beds in the limestone of Masuri. The mass is of no 

 great extent and dips at a very high angle to N. W ; the lower beds 

 being shaly and thin bedded. I found no fossils, so that its age can 

 only be conjectured ; certainly older than the middle tertiary, it may 

 be nummulitic. The Balla hill in the immediate continuation of this 

 limestone on the opposite side of the Torsa is a micaceous schistose 

 rock, and in the bed of a small ravine near the foot of the ascent to 

 Tazigong, I found several pieces of very pure soft steatite, which 

 I was told the Bhuteas cut into small cups. I was unable t) examine 

 the foot of the hills to the east of Balla, having much ground to 

 survey to the south, but looking in that direction the termination of the 

 mountain spurs appeared somewhat detached from the mass, as if due 

 to newer beds lying at the base of them ; they may either be a 

 continuation of the sandstone at Buxa, or the higher conglomerate 

 beds. 



To the east of the Boro Torsa, no marked feature denotes where 

 the gravels end, the level of the country is very equable, the beds of 

 the streams being very sandy, bouldery and dry for a distance of 10 

 miles. The Basera river, one of the largest, is dry nearly as far down 

 as Nathabari in the month of February ; but, although no scarp marks 

 the commencement of a lower level in the country, this line coincides 

 with what I have before said respecting the Balla and Chamoorchi 

 Dooars. The larger streams have generally a narrow strip of kader 

 land bounded with a low scarp marking their former, higher and 

 lateral extension. 



^ At Buxa the sandstones suddenly come in with the accompanying 

 higher and unconformable conglomerate beds, the former with the 

 prevailing high dip towards the main hills. I have already noticed 

 the occurrence of this formation in a short paper in this Journal 



