GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 249 



the hardest rocks of the transition or Cucldapah series. The 

 carving out of the great plain and step of mountain wall was 

 evidently in the greatest measure the work of marine denudation, 

 though subsequent atmospheric and river degradation and later 

 deposits have obliterated most traces of this. An interesting 

 feature observable in this region is a narrow and low sandstone 

 ridge, from 40 to 70 feet above sea-level, with a lateritic 

 covering running generally north and south at from 10 to 

 20 miles iuland from the sea shore, and forming an extension of the 

 Red Hills of Madras, Pondicherry, Cuddalore, and Samulcotah 

 in the G-odavari district. This plateau ridge marks what may be 

 considered the last permanent upheaval of the Coromanclel, but 

 the views of the Survey differ as to the period when this may 

 have taken place, Mr. Foote inclining to date the upheaval during 

 the human period, while Mr. King is doubtful whether it can be 

 fixed so late. 



The eastern coast from latitude 15° and northward to Masulipatam 

 is described by Mr. Foote in Vol. XVI. of the " Memoirs." The 

 topography is simple, consisting as it does of an inclined plane 

 sloping gently eastward from the foot of the Eastern Ghats to the 

 Bay of Bengal, diversified only by scattered hills. Fiscally the area 

 is divided between the Eistna and jSTellore districts. The geological 

 structure is almost as simple as the topographical, the western part 

 being occupied by a broad band or zone of ancient crystalline rocks 

 belonging to the gneissic series, the eastern part by marine and 

 fmviatile alluvia, while the intermediate part, roughly speaking, 

 is occupied by a band of patches of sedimentary rocks of two ages, both 

 older than the alluvial formations. The economic resources of this 

 region are very small as regards al] the really valuable and important 

 minerals ; there is a great deal of good iron ore, but unfortunately 

 no coal or mineral fuel accompanies it, while in the matter of building 

 and road materials, the supply, though plentiful, is no better than the 

 average districts further to the south. 



Mr. Foote' s exhaustive description of the geological features of 

 the South Maratha country (i.e., the country which formed the 

 southern part of the Maratha empire without reference to the 

 distribution of the Maratha people) is published in Vol. XII., 

 Part I., of the " Memoirs." Although a very large portion of this 

 area is inhabited by Kanarese people, who differ very widely in 

 appearance and language from their Maratha neighbours, the term 

 is a convenient one for the irregular belt stretching from near 



