442 Geographical Collections. 
the hand of man. Here the geologist may read the book of nature in distinct 
characters. Few tracts (from Rampoora to Kotah) will be found more interest~ 
ing to him, to the antiquarian, or to the lover of nature in her most rugged attire. 
The surface of this extensive plateau is greatly diversified. At Kotah the bare 
protruding rock, in some places, presents not a trace of vegetation ; but when it 
bevels off to the banks of the Rar, it is one of the richest and most productive 
soils in India, and better cultivated than any spot even of British India. In its 
indented side are glens of the most romantic description, (as the fountain of the 
“¢ snake king”? near Hinglaz,) and deep dells, the source of small streams, where 
many treasures of art in temples and ancient dwellings yet remain to reward the 
traveller. 
This central elevation, as before described, is of the secondary formation called 
trap. Its prevailing colour, where laid bare by the Chumbul, is milk-white ; 
it is compact and close-grained, and though perhaps the mineral offering the 
greatest resistance to the chisel, the sculptures at the celebrated Burolli evince 
its utility to the artist. White is also the prevailing colour to the westward. 
About Kotah the trap is often mixed white and porphyritic, and about Shahabad 
of a mixed red and brown tint. When exposed to the action of the atmosphere 
in its eastern declivity, the decomposed and rough surface would almost cause it 
to be mistaken for grit stone. 
This formation is not favourable to mineral wealth. The only metals are lead 
and iron ;. but their ores, especially the latter, are abundant. There are mines, 
said to be valuable, of sulphuret of lead, (galena,) in the Gwalior province, from 
which I have had specimens, but these also are closed. The natives fear to ex- 
tract their mineral wealth, and though abounding in lead, tin, and copper mines, 
are indebted almost entirely to Hurope even for the materials of their culinary 
utensils.”” . 
The author then directs the reader’s attention to an important deduction to 
this review of the physiognomy of Rajwarra. 
There are two distinctly marked declivities or slopes in Central India. ‘The 
chief is that from west to east: from the great rampart, the Aravulli, (interposed 
to prevent the drifting of the sands into the central plains bisected by the Chum- 
bul and his hundred arms,) to the Betwa. The other slope is from south to 
north: from the Vindhya, the southern buttress of Central India, to the Jumna. 
<¢ Extending our definition, we may pronounce the course of the Jumna to in- 
dicate the centrai fall of that immense vale which has its northern slope from the 
base of the Himalaya, and the southern from that of the Vindhya mountains. 
The Chumbul has his fountains in a very elevated point of the Vindhya, amidst 
a cluster of hills, on which is bestowed the local appellation of ‘ Janapava.? It 
has three co-equal sources from the same cluster, the Chumbul, Chambela, and 
Gumbheer; while no less than nine other streams have their origin on the south 
side, and pour their waters into the Nerbudda. 
The Lipra from Reepuldo, the little Sinde from Dewas, and other minor- 
Streams, passing Cogein, all unite with the Chumbul, in different stages, before 
he breaks threugh the plateau. 
The Cali Sinde from Baugri, and its petty branch, the Sodwia, from Raghoo- 
gurh ; the Newaz (or Jamneeri) from Morsookri and Mazurda; the Parbutti 
from the pass Amlakhera, with its mountain arm Doulutpoor, uniting at Furher, 
are all points in the crest of the Vindhya range, whence they pursue their course 
through the plateau, rolling over precipices, till engulphed in the-Chumbul, at 
the ferries of Nevnerah and Polli. All these unite on the right bank. 
On the left bank, his flood is increased by the Bunas, fed by the perennial 
streams from the Aravulli, and the Beris from the lakes of Oodipoor; and after 
watering Mewar, the southern frontier of Jeipoor, and the highlands of Kerowli, 
the river turns south, to unite at the holy ‘ Sungum’ Rameswar. 
ihe course of the Chumbul, not reckoning the river’s sinuosities, is upwards 
of five hundred miles, and along its banks specimens of nearly every race now ex- 
isting in India may’ be found. Sindees, Chunderawuts, Seesodias, Haras, Gore, 
