Page:Madras Journal of Literature and Science, series 1, volume 6 (1837).djvu/373

1837.] a gap and an extremely narrow ridge, over which lies a difficult footpath 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, having diminished in height, by a succession of steps, from 3894 feet in Hurrecchundurghur 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 Sholapoor. 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 Godavery 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 conical hills with a truncated apex. Dr. Voysey 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), Poorundhur (4472 feet), and Wuzeerghur, adjoining Poorundhur (at nearly the same elevation), has an extent of ninety-five miles. The accompanying 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 greatest 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