1850.] 



Sircar of Py km. 



239 



wacken beds, they are seen reposing in ; from beneath these darker 

 rocks, slopes of abrupt inclination extend out into the plains, having 

 the southern of a greater angle, than the northern one, and for the 

 same reason, less sprinkled with vegetation. The trees found upon 

 the flanks and levels of the table land are all of a dwarfish appear- 

 ance ; the black aluminous soils there prevailing, being unfavorable 

 for their vigorous growth, probably occasioned by the great contrac- 

 tion aluminous soils undergo on exposure to heat, and which may 

 injure the roots by pressure, as well as excluding air. The trees 

 principally observed were semicarpus, boswellia, melia, grislea, pa- 

 vetta, bauhinia, cassia, capparis, xymenia, flacourtia, zyzyphus, cle- 

 matis, several varieties of mimosce, grewia, prosopis, &c, at intervals 

 of the chain, diverging ridges occur, including gorges, and secluded 

 dells of much beauty, the luxuriant nature of whose vegetation, is 

 in striking contrast with the arid looking sides of the adjoining moun- 

 tains ; along their bottoms is usually seen a stream of limpid water, 

 that oozes from the foot of the mountains ; the highest points at 

 which they commence to flow is about 1,500 feet above the level of 

 the sea, and are generally seen trickling from seems and fissures 

 in wacken strata, the chain running in a direction nearly perpendi- 

 cular to the inclination of their dip, which appears slightly to be to 

 the eastward of north. These streamlets pass on and mingle their 

 waters, to form large rivulets, that aid in no small degree the general 

 tribute to the Godavery ; or sinking gradually into the porous beds 

 fo rming the subsoil of the Sircar, occasion abundant subterranean re- 

 servoirs of moisture. 



The rivers passing through the province are the Godavery ; Sew- 



nee ; and Gunda. The Godavery* is the grand recipi- 

 Godavery. ' , . , , , , . „ 



ent, and skirts the southern boundary in a flexuous 



course from west to east, for the space of 25 miles ; entering the 

 boundary at the confluence of the Sewnee river, it receives many 

 large sized affluents in its progress, the chief being the Sewnee, Gun- 

 da, and a large stream formed by the confluence of the Yurr and 

 Wurra, with various streamlets draining the country north and south 

 of its course. The bed of the channel through which the river flows, 

 is generally seen to be formed of sheets and ledges of the red Por- 

 phyritic clay stone, the breadth varying considerably, but at Pytun 

 which may be taken as the average, it measures above 900 yards 



* Called by the Natives Gungabaee. 



