1837.] 



Geology of the Deccan. 



347 



a gap and an extremely narrow ridge, over which lies a difficult foot- 

 path of communication between the valley of the Malsej ghat and that 

 of the Mool river. The spur then widens ; some lateral ramifications 

 shoot out, on one of which is situated the fort of Koonjurghur ; at the 

 Brahmun Wareh pass it narrows considerably, but not into a ridge ; it 

 subsequently expands into the extensive and well-peopled table-land 

 of Kanoor and Parneir, twenty-four miles long by twenty broad, hav- 

 ing diminished in height, by a succession of steps, from 3894 feet in 

 Hurreechundurghur to 2866 at Brahmun Wareh, 2474 at Parneir, and 

 2133 on the terrace of Ahmednuggur. From Ahmednuggur the spur 

 bends southward until it is finally lost in the neighbourhood of Shola- 

 poor. It is, in fact, the margin of a great plateau, which has a mean 

 elevation of about three hundred feet above the valley of the Goda- 

 very river, and over which the rivers Goreh, Beema, Seena, &c, take 

 their course. The basaltic caps of the ridges appear more or less 

 columnar, from numerous vertical fissures ; the weathering of these 

 exposed rocks produces pillars, spires, towers, houses, and 

 other forms of works of art.* Another feature of these spurs is the 

 occasional occurence on their table-lands of small hummocks or coni- 

 cal hills with a truncated apex. Dr. "Voyseyf mentions " groups of 

 flattened summits and isolated conoidal frustra" in the Gawelghur 

 trap mountains. 



One of the longest of the spurs originates in the ghats north-west 

 of Satarah, and runs nearly east-south-east, about one hundred and ten 

 miles, towards Punderpoor. 



The spur immediately south of Poona, on the ramifications of which 

 are situated the formidable fortresses of Singhur (4162 feet), Poorund- 

 hur (4472 feet), and Wuzeerghur, adjoining Poorundhur (at nearly 

 the same elevation), has an extent of ninety-five miles. The ac- 

 companying section, Plate xxviii. fig. 2. represents this spur. 



Valleys. — Much having been said respecting valleys of excavation, I 

 think it may be acceptable to offer a few observations on the valleys 

 between the spurs. I shall describe only those that present the great- 

 est contrasts to each other. 



Valley of the Mota river. — The valley of the Mota river, south of 

 Poona, originating in a mass of hills on the edge of the ghats, is so 

 „ exceedingly narrow, that for some miles the bases of the opposite hills 



* See plate 9, fig. 1 and 2 on the Konkun ; and Plate 8, fig. 1. 

 t Physical Class, Asiatic Researches, p. 1S9. 



