114 Dr Christie on the Meteorology, Geology, ^c. 



horizontal. The hills are all very nearly of the same altitude, 

 are in long ranges, having even summits, and, when seen from 

 a distance, they look like huge natural walls. The sketch fig. 6, 

 will give an idea of their general appearance. 



North of the Malpurba, the strata of sandstone are in gene- 

 ral more or less inclined ; and they appear to rest there uncon- 

 formably upon the transition rocks, viz. the clayslates, grey- 

 wacke, limestone, &c. 



In regard to its mineral composition and structure this rock 

 varies exceedingly. It occurs under the forms of a coarse con- 

 glomerate, a coarse sandstone, and different varieties of compact 

 quartz. Its most common colours are red and brown ; and it 

 is frequently variegated with white. 



At Gudjunderghur, and in the hills which extend from that 

 place to Badamy, it is in the form of a very coarse sandstone. 

 It there consists, generally speaking, of grains of quartz, cement- 

 ed together by means of clay. Sometimes the quartz is in large 

 rounded or angular masses, thus forming a coarse conglomerate. 

 Generally, however, it is in smaller grains of uniform size, form- 

 ing a coarse sandstone. Its general colour is red. Sometimes 

 it is variegated with white ; the white being in patches, or in 

 straight or w^aved lines ; and I have seen large round nodules of 

 white imbedded in the red base. 



To the north of the Malpurba the quartz, or compact variety, 

 prevails. It has a splintery fracture and brown colour. In many 

 instances it is traversed in all directions by white veins. It is, in 

 many places, associated with puddingstone, which occasionally 

 forms very large beds. In the hills of Nurgoond and Ghick 

 Nurgoond, both the arenaceous and compact varieties are found 

 very near each other. In one part of the latter hill, the compact 

 variety has, on the large scale, somewhat of a spheroidal struc- 

 ture. In the south-east part of the Nurgoond Hill there is a large 

 mass of a diaphanous quartz with a bluish colour, and dissemi- 

 nated grains of felspar. This variety is by no means uncommon, 

 especially in the hills south of Kulladghee, where it has some- 

 times a reddish or white colour. 



Some geologists might be disposed to arrange this sandstone 

 >vith the old red sandstone of English geologists (transition red 

 sandstone ot the Germans) ; but I am inclined to consider it 



