Geographical Position, and Physical Aspect. The province of Cutch, in the East Indies, is situated between the 22° and 24° of north latitude, and 68° and 70° of east longitude*. It is bounded to the north by the Grand Runn, beyond which is the Thur or Little Desert; to the S.W. and S. by the Gulf of Cutch and the Indian Ocean; to the E. and S.E. by the district of Guzerat; and to the N.W. by the eastern branch of the Indus and the territory of Sinde. Its extreme length from E. to W. is about 180 English miles, and its extreme breadth is 50 miles; but in one place it is not more than 15 miles across. It contains about 6500 square miles, independently of the Grand Runn, which ought, however, to be considered as a part of the province, and which, including the islands with the portion bounded by the Guzerat coast, occupies an area of at least 9000 square miles. Physical Aspect of the Country. —The province is hilly and rocky, with the exception of the part forming the southern coast, which is a dead flat covered with a fine rich soil. Three distinct ranges of hills, having an easterly and westerly direction, may be traced (see Map, Pl. XX.). The most northern forms an irregular chain bordering the Runn, and, for the greater part, presents to the north a perpendicular cliff surmounting a sloping talus, and to the south an inclined plane. It is composed