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'No. 40 OF 1867.

From Captain H. T. HEBBERT,

Political Assistant, Western Division, Kattyawar,

To Colonel R. H. KEATINGE, V.C., C.S.I.,

Political Agent, Kattyawar.

Rajkote, 8th April 1867.

SIR, I have the honour to reply to your Circular Memorandum, No. 15 of 1866, dated 11th September 1866, referring to an extract from the Bombay Saturday Review of the 18th August 1866, on the Geological Action on the south coast of Kattyawar and in the Runn, with Resolution No. 1692 of 1866 by the Government of Bombay.

2. Much has been written on the general subject of the oscillations in the level of the Runn by Captain Grant of the Engineers, Fuljames, Le Grand and John Jacob, and many papers referring to it will be found in the Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, and in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Bengal, chiefly from 1830 to 1840, and in Burn's Travels, Dr. Burn's Mission to Scinde, and Lyell's Principles of Geology.

3. The only point however, for my present consideration, as relating to the District under my charge is, whether the Runn is being yearly depressed and the rate of such depression, if it exists.

4. Before referring to the volcanic agency supposed to be still influencing the Runn, I will mention the facts which I have been able to ascertain, for the depression or elevation of the Runn is clearly a question of fact, and to be determined only by observation.

5. H. H. the Jam of Nowanuggur, and the Thalkoors of Morvee and Mallia, placed at my disposal Methas to make observations. These officers, particularly the one sent by H. H. the Jam, have visited the coast and islands on the Kattyawar side of the Gulf of Cutch, as far north as Teekur, and have supplied me with such information, as in six months they have been able to collect.

6. The Runn, as often before described, is an extensive sandy flat with well defined boundaries, lying on a lower level than the surrounding country, and very little above the level of the sea. It is devoid of vegetation except on the elevated ridges alluded to in Captain McMurdo's report on the Province of Kattyawar, dated 2nd October 1815.

7. This tract of country is annually covered by the sea, which is simply blown up upon it by the force of the South-west winds.

8. In March the sea commences to flood the Runn on the Kutch side to an extent of about 2 miles and to a depth of from 2 to 24 feet. In April the Runn is covered as far as Teekur to a depth of 1, 2, and in some places 4 feet, and during the violence of the Monsoon, when the Loonee, Bunnass, and other countless streams pour in their floods, the depth increases in some parts to 10 and

12 feet, a vast lake being formed, extending far away inland, and not unfre. quently, when the rivers are much swollen, connecting itself with the Null to the south, converting Kattyawar for the time being into an island.

9. Captain Grant, in writing of the Runn in his very able papers on the Geology of Kutch, dated 31st December 1836, describes it as "perhaps unparalleled in any known part of the globe, as it may be said to be placed on a level between land and water," and certainly it appears to me that the chief peculiarity of the Runn is that it thus retains its level, year by year, considering the sea of waters that so continually sweeps over it, entering and flowing off as we can easily conceive with no insignificant force.

10. As far as my observations have enabled me to determine, I am decidedly of opinion that no perceptible change has occurred in the actual level of the Runn for many years, and that the supposed subsidence, which has attracted the notice of the writer in the Bombay Saturday Review, is merely the result of changes which have occurred, and which must occur at the entrance of the Runn from the annual scour to which it is exposed.

11. From interrogating the inhabitants I am satisfied that no depression, at least on the southern side of the Runn, has been observed by them.

12. It appears to me that were a gradual depression taking place over the entire Runn caused by volcanic action, we might expect to find evidence of such changes in the interior of the Runn, and large lakes would remain after the subsidence of the flood, which would increase in extent from year to year.

13. Many such lakes have from time immemorial existed in the Runn, but in spite of the strictest inquiry, I have heard of no instance of these lakes being materially increased or fresh ones having been formed; on the contrary some of them have, if anything, become diminished.

14. I directed minute inquiries to be made with a view of ascertaining whether the level of water in the village wells near the coast, is approaching nearer the surface or not; as this appeared to be a practical mode of ascertaining whether the neighbourhood of the Runn is undergoing depression; and the result of these inquiries satisfied me that such is not the case.

15. Failing therefore to discover any foundation for the statement that the Runn was undergoing a yearly depression, I directed my attention to the Gulf of Kutch and entrance to the Runn, and here it was apparent that many of the creeks and channels had undergone considerable change.

16. The whole coast of Kattyawar in the Gulf of Kutch, north of Nowanuggur, is formed by thick banks of mud and marsh, and mangrove swamps, washed up, and accumulated from the, at all times, muddy waters of the Gulf; over these marshes the tide is continually ebbing and flowing, and they are subject to the changes noticed before as occurring in the Runn from the sea being forced up by the south-west wind.

17. It is not therefore to be wondered at that the inhabitants, who live near the coast, have observed no particular changes, and when questioned merely state

that some years the sea advances further in the swamps than in others. The only information I found to be obtainable was from boatmen who frequent the navigable creeks.

18. The first of these creeks is the one mentioned by the writer in the Bombay Saturday Review, the Wowania Creek, in which native vessels of considerable tonnage can pass more than a mile beyond the former anchorage.

19. The next, a few miles to the south-west, is the Jhinjoora, a port of Nowanuggur, in which it is reported that boats can approach 1 miles further than they were able to do 20 years ago. The Bunder in this creek was formerly at a spot called the Sooeewals Ness, whereas now it is some distance up the creek. In this, however, one fact is worthy of notice, viz. that although a sufficient depth of water for vessels to pass extends further inland, the depth at the Soeewals Ness has scarcely increased at all.

20. Again, still further to the south, between Balumba and Jooria, the river Dadhialee flows into the Gulf, and it has been noticed that this river has of comparatively late years swept away great quantities of sand and deposit from its mouth, which is by this means considerably widened; consequently in the hot months, when there is an increase of water in the Gulf, the sea entering the channels thus formed, spreads over the low sandy level around, to a much greater extent than in former years.

21. No changes have been noticed in any other creeks or on the coast west of Nowanuggur, though an agent was specially sent to make inquiries at Sureya Pindora and the island of Adjar.

22. Neither have any changes whatever been noticed along the south-west coast of Kattyawar, Meeanee, Porbunder, Mangrole, &c.

23. The result, therefore, of my inquiries along the coast has only brought to notice that the degrading action of the Wowania streams and the Demee, Fooljur, and Dadhialee rivers have immaterially increased the length and depth of the muddy creeks, into which they pour themselves.

24. There are certainly some popular traditions, such as that in past ages there was a footpath from Jooria to the opposite bunder of Poona in Kutch. Also a report that some stones which rise up four miles to sea in front of Ballacherry (the usual resort of Europeans in the hot weather) are the remains of a temple to Shiva. But for my own part I do not place credence in these reports which are unsupported by evidence of any kind.

25. The writer of the article submitted for report unhesitatingly declares his belief that the Runn is undergoing a gradual depression, and affirms that this is undoubtedly caused by volcanic action, and not by the eroding action of the tide.

26. That the Runn has been subject to occasional volcanic action is assuredly the case, but that it is now being gradually sunk by this action is very questionable. If a course such as this were affecting a large tract of country with an area of upwards of 7000 miles, it would not be unnatural to look for repeated

and constant indications of a volcanic nature; but this is far from being the case, and from inquiry I am convinced that earthquakes are as little frequent on the Runn as in any part of India. It must, however, be remembered that I have only had opportunity of questioning the inhabitants on the Kattyawar side of the Runn. The igneous nature of Kutch on the opposite side is well known, and earthquakes may be more frequent there, still I consider that the very fact of earthquakes being almost unknown on this side of the Runn, even if they should be felt on the opposite coast, goes far to prove that the Runn itself is not the centre of their action.

27. The only earthquake of importance which has been noticed in the Runn occurred in the year A.D. 1819, and was described by Captain Grant. This earthquake is reported to have rent the deep chasm in the Runn, now known as the Chas, opposite Junghee, which terminates the Gulf of Kutch, or rather connects it on the Kutch side with the Runn. This channel is constantly being enlarged by portions from the sides falling in and being carried away by the tide; and vessels safely proceed where previous to 1819 they were unable to find a road.

28. It has hitherto been the common impression that the Runn was rising rather than lowering its level, and this impression was shared by Captain Grant, and unquestionably this is what we would expect from the operation of the volcanic agency believed in by the writer in the Bombay Saturday Review, such agency being calculated to elevate rather than depress. But the gradual rise of land is so slow a process that it would be a most difficult matter to ascertain.

29. It requires more than the mere fact of some alluvium here and there being recaptured by the sea to prove that the Runn is undergoing a gradual depression. It is a question of levelling, and the only way that suggests itself to me, should Government desire further and more accurate information on the subject, is that a qualified Officer be appointed for a few months to superintend the placing of some long lines of level, which should be run out from some fixed elevation on the mainland of the Runn. Permanent bench-marks should be fixed at regulated intervals, and any changes of level by these means ascertained a stated periods.

30. After all if it should be the case that volcanic action is inducing subsidence now who can promise that the same action will not re-elevate the Runn and its neighbourhood at a future time.

31. Altogether I do not think that the article submitted for report from the Bombay Saturday Review, the facts of which are somewhat doubtful, and the speculations crude, need cause the Government any anxiety, at any rate, as far as relates to the Runn on the north side of Kattyawar.

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'No. 58 of 1867.

From The ACTING FIRST POLITICAL ASSISTANT,
To Major R. H. KEATINGE, V.C., C.S.I.,

Political Agent in Kattyawar.

Rajkote, Wudwan Station, 4th March 1867.

SIR,-With reference to your Circular Memo. No. 15, dated the 11th September 1866, on Government Resolution No. 1692, dated the 27th August 1866, on the subject of the supposed sinking of the Runn of Kutch, I have the honour to forward for your information two forms of register which I have directed, with the consent of the Commissioner of Customs and His Highness the Raj of Drangudra, K.C.S.I., to be kept by the Sircarcoons at Patree, Jhinjoowarra, and Unverpoor, and the Raj Carcoons at Teekur and Kopurnee.

2. The post A, referred to in the forms, is or will be fixed at each station, 100 yards from high tide mark, and post B so as to be partly covered by the water at high tide. The sea does not reach the customs stations except sometimes in the rains. The posts at these stations will therefore be fixed after the beginning of the monsoon.

3. The registers are to be kept for lunar months.

4. The carcoons have been directed to note when the Teekur, Khar, &c, passes are practicable for passage across the Runn, and when closed, and to note also the dates of any volcanic shocks.

5. Their registers will be annually compiled in my office; and the result of their observations communicated to you. I do not suppose that if the Runn is really sinking or rising any appreciable fall or rise would be apparent for many years.

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