RAISED BEACH, AT MAMLOO. 



171 



from the edge of the table land, seem to undermine the sandstone 

 below, producing land slips, which occur in this manner year after year. 

 Since 1835, the edge of the Moosmai fall has receded at least 10 feet, 

 and ample evidence remains of the recession to take place next rains. 

 This simple undermining will suffice for the formation of ravines, 

 which are formed by their sides merely slipping down without be- 

 ing carried away, this last only occurring in the immediate vicinity of 

 the strength of the torrent. All the different stages may be easily 

 seen. The edge of the table land I take to have been originally at 

 Mahadeb. The time that has elapsed between the falling of the first 

 cataract over its edge, and the formation of the edge over which the 

 waters at present fall, must be immense, since that edge has now 

 receded several miles. Allowing the annual recess to be 5 feet, and 

 the distance 5 miles; the time occupied would be 5,700 years: that 

 the time has been great, is proved by the sides of these places being 

 clothed with large tree-jungle to the base of the scarp. 



October 25th. — I went in search of the fossil marine beach, (found 

 during our first visit in 1835,) but passed it, and my journey ended 

 at the site of the Jasper beds : this occupies a ridge where roads 

 strike off leading to the Orange villages, so called from the groves 

 of orange trees by which they are surrounded, and from which they 

 derive their name. From this spot, 3 villages are seen occupying shel- 

 tered situations, none much above 2,000 feet in elevation. Luckily I 

 was accompanied, (although going down I was unconscious of it,) by 

 a boy who had been with McClelland when he originally discovered 

 the fossil remains, so I recommenced the ascent, after digging in many 

 places without any success. The site is scarcely 1,000 feet below 

 Mamloo, which is 3, 153 feet ; it is below the ridge along which the road 

 is visible from the village, and is about 100 yards farther from it than 

 the second square stone erection. One would imagine that one was 

 passing through rocks presenting nothing interesting : the rocks are 

 in many places very hard, particularly when they have been long 

 exposed to the atmosphere, in which case they are less red than when 

 sheltered by vegetation, when they are soft and of a reddish colour : 

 the fossils are by no means frequent, the cylindric tubes appear to 

 occupy the outer or rather upper surface of the sandstone, in the in- 

 terior of which Medusae or Cyrtomae are most frequent, accompanied 

 by shells, some of large size, the largest bivalves resembling scolloped 

 oysters ; the next in size looking like oblong cockles : for only in one 

 position did I see a conglomeration of minute shells ; this occurred above 

 the others and nearer the jungle. I brought away with me, two boxes 



