mould has a washed-out look, and is sometimes intermixed with the underlying light-coloured saline earth mixed with gravel and lime nodules; it has a paler face, and is less fertile. The loam deposits are called "malli," and are much prized. The northern boundary of the district is a hill-range curving gradually southward as it trends west; and, since the Púrna river inclines northwards, the distance between the two is gradually lessened. In this portion of the district (north of the Púrna) three conditions of soil exist, lying in as many parallel narrow strips between the hills and the river; they are each broader on the east, and narrower as they obliquely approach the west. The first strip, at the foot of the hills to the full extent across, and nearly uniformly wide at both terminations, but very irregular intermediately, consists of the undulated inferior light soil usually found in such localities and described above. The strip is from three to six miles broad; here and there patches of black soil are to be met with; water is found at uncertain and great depths, or in the beds of watercourses. The running-water is not wholesome. As soon as the rain ceases it brings down with it from the roots of the bichnág plant an oily substance most ruinous to health. This soil soon becomes impoverished, and is laborious to cultivate, from the deep-rooted indigenous plants, shrubs, and vigorous grass which constantly show up. This strip, however, is exceedingly picturesque, with its background of hill-range, and it yields fuel and grass freely. Next to this strip, and in the same position, lies the second; it is from five to eleven miles broad, of black soil under the condition designated second in this paper. The soil is of moderate depth, and overlies yellow clay; water is found very near the surface, pure, sweet, and plentiful. The entire strip may be compared to a continuous garden, there being but few breaks. Here the scenery is park-like, open, and level, and very pleasant. The remainder of the soil down to the Púrna river answers to the first condition. The strip is seventeen miles broad on the east, gradually narrowing to four miles on the west. Its ordinary aspect is naked and unsightly; the few trees, some of them of magnificent growth, are hardly a relief to the eye on the vast bare plain; yet when it is covered with the growing or ripe crops, the various shades of green of the different plants sown in different fields, the broad patches of bright-yellow and orange kardi flowers, and the delicate blue flax, all rippling and waving with the passing breezes, form a very pleasant prospect. * Mountains, and Geological Formation. District Selections, *This is much altered now; the rabi plains, where kharif would not at one time grow, are this year nearly entirely taken up with jawári and cotton. The high jawári crops restrict the view. Mountains, District Selections. Patches of light-coloured hillocks, scattered and lying between Dahihanda and Reil, a short distance north of the Sháhnúr river, mark the locality of the salt wells. They recur to a slight extent on the south of the Púrna river, in an almost parallel line in the same longitude 77° 5' to 77° 15'. Strange as it may appear, rabi sowings do not succeed in the west or narrow end of this strip up to 76° 65 east longitude; there must be a difference unapparent to a superficial inspection, but owing probably to a deficient power of retaining moisture. On the south of the Púrna, if we except the strip down to the railway line, which is exactly similar to that on the immediate north of the river, there is not the same uniformity as on the north. Those who laid out that line have unintentionally given to the map of this district a curiously accurate demarcation of the rabi tract to the south of the Púrna, which is unmixed with garden cultivation or inferior soil. On the south of the line, beginning west, the inferior undulating land from the hill-range runs in long spurs well up the flanks of the valley, taking in Khamgaon and other villages in that vicinity. Between these spurs fine garden-land intervenes as narrow vales on the sides of rivulets. From this point well away east to beyond the Múrna, and quite up to the Káta Púrna river, the black soil (some parts producing rabí) runs in a wide irregular sweep well into the hills. The scenery here is the choicest in the district, because not so flat and uniform as the north. In some parts it is almost picturesque. The rest of the district to the east of this tract is comparatively poor, yet it has much grass and wood land, and a certain striking variety of landscape. The low ridges sweeping round in bold curves close in continually upon the Káta Púrna river, which works its way through them perseveringly until it at last escapes out into the open plain near Kúrankher. Speaking of this tract Major Elphinstone says-"but in the south "and east the soil is very variable, changing rapidly from a rich (west) "to a shallow and stony soil (east) as it approaches the Sátmál range, "which runs down far into the valley, cutting it up into shreds." Mr. Beynon says, "From Kúrankher south towards Pinjar and Máhán "the soil is extremely poor and shallow, and covered for the most part "with large loose stones, which in places lie so thickly together that it "is necessary to remove them before the land can be brought under "cultivation. There is a slight improvement as the hills are approached, "after which the shallow soils predominate."+ By following the upstream course of the Káta Púrna right into the hills, where it runs in a sort of canyon or deep ravine, clothed by trees, you may discover bits of wild scenery that are hardly matched in Berár. There are a couple of high conical-shaped hills, one in the south of of the Bálápúr, and the other in the south of the Akola taluk; they stand out quite Hills. *N. Lat. 29° 54′ and 20° 47'. † Revenue Survey Reports on Akola taluk, apart from any other eminences, and appear to rise straight up from the plain, so that they serve as familiar landmarks to the country side. But the Narnála fortress is very much the highest point in the district. It stands on a mountain which has been placed like an advanced outwork a little in front of the main wall of the Gáwilgarh range, and is divided from that range by a deep valley with scarped sides. The fort, which is described in the Gazetteer for the Melghát, marks an elevation of 3,161 feet. Buldana. The geological formation is trap. On the higher and more exposed localitics along the edge of the ghats the Geological formation, hills, &c. rock stands out bare, devoid of any superstratum of soil; on others again the disintegrated trap is dotted over with stunted scrub and scanty herbage, affording, though during the rains alone, slight pasturage for cattle. Descending the ravines the pasture becomes richer, and various forest-trees are met with, and grow, some of them, in considerable luxuriance. Away from the larger ravines, on the northern boundaries of the gháts, the valleys and undulating slopes contain the finest loam. In one or two localities ironstone of considerable specific gravity has been found. Lake of Lonár. On the most southerly plateau of the district is situated the farfamed Lake of Lonár. This presents the appearance of an enormous crater of an extinct volcano, and is one of the most prominent, curious, and interesting physical features of the district. The country around Lonár resembles much in character the rest of that portion of the district which consists of undulating highlands, separated from each other by little valleys and watercourses, and which extends towards the gháts leading into the Nizám's dominions. The formation is of tabular or nodular basalt. Approaching Lonár a series of low hills or eminences present themselves to view, and offer an ascent of perhaps from sixty to eighty feet. These surround and slope gently toward an enormous basin, with an oval-almost round-circumference at top of about five miles, and a depth of 510 feet as calculated by the aneroid. The sides of this great bowl rise abruptly at an angle of from 75° to 80°, and at their bases the circumference of the lake itself is about three miles. These slopes are covered with jungle interspersed with teak, and at their feet is a belt of large trees about a mile broad, and running all round the basin. This belt is formed of concentric rings of different descriptions of trees. Those of the description which grow on the precipitous sides of the basin form the outer ring. Inside this comes a ring of date-palms, to which succeeds a ring of tamarind trees nearly a mile broad. Last, and nearest to the waters of the lake itself, is a ring of bábúl trees, bounded on the inside by a belt of bare muddy space; this leads to the water, is several hundred yards broad, devoid of all vegetation, and covered with a whitish slimy soil. When, in the rains, the drainage into the lake from its sloping sides fills it, the water covers this muddy space, but is so impregnated with soda that it kills all vegetable life. The water of the lake contains various salts or sodas, and when, in the dry weather, evaporation reduces Mountains, and Geological Formation. District Selections. Mountains, and Geological Formation. District Selections. the level of the water, large quantities of sodas are collected. On the southern side of the lake, not far from the water's edge, is a well of sweet water, yielded at a depth considerably below the level of the surface of the water in the lake. Two small streams fall into it from the land above; one passes through a small temple, which is much frequented by piligrims-for Lonár is now, as in the days of Akbar, a place of religious resort. This is how it is mentioned in the Aín-i-Akbari (written about A.D. 1600): "These mountains produce all the requi"sites for making glass and soap. And here are saltpetre works which 'yield a considerable revenue to the State, from the duties collected. "On these mountains is a spring of salt water, but the water from the "centre and the edges is perfectly fresh." Hills. Ba'sim. The highest points are all in the Púsad taluk. Their highest does not exceed two thousand feet; but very many hills can be found whose altitude is not less. In the richer parts of the Básim taluk there are no hills. Wu'n. The physical features of the country are of a varied nature, consisting of plains, plateaus, and hill-ranges. Physical features. The last mentioned attain, at their highest elevation, an altitude of 1,921 feet. In breadth, length, and contour there is no conformity. These hill-ranges are shoots from the Ajanta chain, which commences at the western extremity of the Assigned Districts, and runs almost parallel to the Painganga as far eastward as Básim-a town near the eastern frontier of the district. From this point three distinct shoots are thrown out into the Wún district. The first of these enters the boundary near Nairát-a distance of ten miles from the northern frontier,-continues in an easterly course for fifty-seven miles to Baundarpúr in the Wún pargana, and then, taking a southerly direction towards Múkarban, terminates at an elevation of 944 feet. Throughout its easterly course it throws out numerous spurs. The largest of these attains a length of thirty-six miles, runs parallel to the Múkarban range, divides the Wágri and Kúni rivers, and culminates at a height of 1,310 feet. The next in importance has a length of thirty miles, a southern direction, and divides the Wágri river from the A'ran. The head-quarter station of the Wún district is situated on this first division of the hills, near the small village of Yewatmál, at an elevation of 1,583 feet above the sea level. This range carries no valuable timber. Teak-trees, stunted in growth and having no large girth, are scattered here and there throughout the last twenty-five miles of its length. The common jungle-trees-dhaundá, sál, cin, khair, and others too numerous to detail-are in some parts plentiful, but of no large size. Bamboos of small dimensions are found to grow in ravines near its culminating point; they have been preserved. The geological formation of this as well as the other ranges, which will be noticed in their turn, is principally the Dakhan trap. More recent strata, such as sandstone, limestone, and others, are frequently found both in the plains and tablelands. Iron ore of unusual richness is abundant alike on the tops of ranges as in the valleys below; the ore is not worked. Petrified shells may be seen on the slopes to the south of Pálegaon. Quartz is sparsely distributed. The second division of hills enters this district at the extreme eastern boundary at Pálegaon, south of Mangrúl. After its separation from the third division it runs northerly for eight miles, and then turns eastward near Kúpta, and continues in that direction until it terminates at a point near Dabri. Its entire length is about thirty-five miles. The highest altitude is 1,585 feet. Throughout its length it is covered with low scrub-jungle. This range divides the A ́rna and A ́ran rivers, and throws out many spurs. The third range of hills, from its separation at Pálegaon follows a south-east course to Singad and Moha (villages to the north and northeast of Pusad); it then takes an easterly direction, and after throwing out spurs to the south in the direction of the Pús river, and after running parallel with the first division, it terminates at Warúr near the Painganga. Its entire length is sixty-six miles, and it attains its greatest altitude at a point near Warrandali, namely, 1,921 feet-the highest in the district; but for the last thirty-three miles of its course the altitude is inconsiderable. Like the range last alluded to, scrubjungle forms its principal wood; but near Kúsdani teak and other jungle trees, attaining no remarkable height or girth, are plentiful. The fourth range enters the A'nsing pargana, and continues unbroken in a south-east direction beyond Umarkher. The width of this range is much greater than that of any other. The tablelands at, and in the vicinity of, Umarkher are open and well cultivated with wheat, the staple product of these parts, which differ materially from the more northerly portions of the district both in their agricultural produce, climate, and scenery. The hills hereabouts carry the usual stunted teak and jungle trees. The geological formation of this range is also trap. Mountains, and Geological Formation. District Selections. SECTION II.-Minerals. The mineralogy of the province is only remarkable for the saltwells of Akola, the saline deposits of the Lonár lake, and the coal in Wún district upon the Wardha river. Salt-wells. The salt-wells are the most curious mineral speciality of the Berár valley. They are sunk into what is supposed to be "a kind of subterranean lake or reservoir of water," extending more than fifty miles in length and about ten in breadth, in the Akola district. The tract lies on both Minerals. |