1840. J 



On the Geology of Cutch. 



337 



All the other numerous isolated hills scattered over this^ part of the 

 province, including that called the Nuanaw, next to Denodur, appear to 

 be similarly constructed. 



The hill called Lecka, deserves particular notice. It forms one of a 

 group of hills on the borders of the Ruun, at the north-western extre- 

 mity of the province, and is composed of two portions ; one consisting of 

 stratified beds of sandstone ; and the other wholly of basalt, in irregular, 

 triangular columns. The beds of sandstone are horizontally disposed, 

 and of various colours and textures ; the lowest stratum being a coarse, 

 brown, quartzose grit. The igneous rocks crop out in various places 

 near this spot, forming a cluster of small hills between it and the Jooria 

 range; the intervening spaces being broken in the most confused man- 

 ner. 



Recent Oi^if5?frs75.— Having given as many examples of the elevatory 

 cifects of volcanic action as ray space will admit, I shall conclude my 

 account of their phaenomena with a description of some igneous out- 

 bursts of, apparently, a very recent epoch. The principal one occurs 

 at the village of Wage-ke-Pudda. The spot which has been acted on 

 is a rather high table-land, composed of the nuramulitic marl, and is 

 flanked by lo-v, irregular hills of ironstone and gravel, called by the 

 natives Kara Rurraw. The first view of it, is very striking. Con- 

 ceive a spane of ab .ut two square miles, blown out into a flat basin, 

 the sides being broken into fissures, with craters, ravines, and hol- 

 lows ; and the interior, or bed of the basin, interspersed with hillocks 

 and cones of every variety of colour, black, red, yellow, and white, and 

 with patches of cinders, similar to the refuse of a furnace ; the whole 

 looking as fresh as if the igneous agents were still in operation. 



The surface of the table-land immediately surrounding the bluwn-out 

 space, is covered with a burnt ironstone, divided into irregular cells, 

 similar to Septaria; below which are steep banks, 40 to 50 feet high, con- 

 sisting of comminuted particles of clay, sand, gravel, scoriae, and small 

 angular pieces of basalt ; the whole being loose, and having a dry and 

 brittle feci. 



Within the centre are several small craters, or circular spaces, 

 surrounded by walls of basdt. None of them are perfect cir- 

 cles, being broken through by watercourses ; but one has about 

 two thirds of its circumference complete, the sides of which, 

 •about forty feet high, are in thei upper part quite perpendicu- 

 lar, and consist of very compact basalt, of a columnar structure ; 

 while the lower ten feet present a talus, composed of volcanic 



