00 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[voh. v. 
b. River delta deposits. 
In the neighbourhood of the great stivers the soil is finer and the country level, the 
greater portion of it being yearly overflowed by flood waters and receiving a fresh deposit 
from them, except in places where they aro kept from overflow by artificial means. The 
alluvium thus formed is generally highly fertile, but the country is swampy and often 
malarious. As above pointed out, the only character by which this modern alluvium can bo 
distinguished is the flatuess of its surface, showing that the area occupied by it is one of deposi¬ 
tion and not of denudation. Usually also, it is less sandy thantlm older alluvium, and kankar 
is not of frequent occurrence in it, though a thin layer of it often covers deposits of calcareous 
sand and clays, from which the later deposit can, with difficulty, be distinguished. 
8. Blown Sand. 
Along the coast in places, as about Puri, large tracts of ground are covered with sand 
blown inland from the beach. The nature and origin of the formation are obvious. 
In proceeding to give a sketch of the geological characters of the different districts and 
states of which Orissa is composed, I shall first describe the districts of Balasor, Katak and 
Puri, and subsequently those Tributary Mehals of which any definite information has been 
obtained. 
1. Balasoe. —Almost the whole district consists of alluvial deposits. Metamorphics 
occur in the Nilgiri hills, along the western boundary, but they scarcely enter the district 
anywhere, and in no case are found more than a mile or two within the boundary. Laterito, 
frequently massive, forms a narrow fringe to tho hills in places, but not everywhere. 
A few sand hills skirt the shore in the north-eastern part of the district, and on the 
east of the Subanrika they extend for three or four miles inland. 
Tho older alluvium occupies tho greater portion of the district, tho flat river alluvium 
forming the southern part near tho Bytarui, Karswa and Bramini rivers, and a tract in the 
north-east near tho Subanrika. Around Balasor itself the soil is rather sandy, and contains 
latcrite gravel. Concretionary carbonate of lime (kankar) is widely distributed, especially in 
the western parts of the district. 
Katak. —As in Balasor, tho largest part of the district consists of alluvium; the older 
form, with an undulating surface, occupying, however, a much smaller area proportionally, 
and being confined to tho north-western part of the district; nearly all of tho remainder 
being composed of the flat deltas of tho Mahanaddi and Bramini. Along the sea coast 
blown sand generally occurs, but only forms a narrow belt. 
Between the rivers Bramini and Mahanaddi iii the ICillas of Balrampiir, Madpur, Darpan, 
Kalkala, Daljura and scattered over the country to the east in Pargaua Ulti, there are 
numerous hills all more or less isolated, and all composed of gneiss. Along the Bramini, 
near Balrampur, and for some miles to tho south-east, the rock is compact and granitoid. 
Further south it is less compact and usually soft from partial disintegration near the surface. 
It is marked with numerous red blotches, tho remains of decomposed garnets. This soft 
decomposed gneiss is sometimes quarried and used for building. Tho hills in this part 
of the country are most inaccurately represented on the Revenue Survey maps* 
No laterite occurs around tho more eastern hills, but around those in the neighbourhood 
of the road from Calcutta to Katak, there is frequently a narrow fringe, often conglomeratic. 
* Those on the Topographical Survey in ups of tho Tributary Mohals, on the other hand, aro very correctly 
drawn, 
