398 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



up a steamer, and they form a considerable barrier 

 to the navigation of this mighty river. 



The coal and iron shales in Kiangsu in East China 

 contain enormous deposits, and all along the south 

 side of the Yangtse similar deposits occLir, in the 

 province of Hunan, and in Hupeh on the north and 

 elsewhere. These coal beds are all interstratified 

 with limestone, and belong to the carboniferous 

 series. The coal in North China, again, is sui)i)osed 

 to be of Triassic age. 



I may just refer in passing to another interesting 

 formation, the Loess, which is found behind I'chang, 

 in ranges of low hills formed of yellow, friable, 

 sandy soil. " Though almost identical in structure 

 with the Rhine Loess," it "differs widely in position, 

 not being confined to the valleys of the great rivers 

 but stretching almost Lininterruptedly over the raised 

 table-lands of Central and Northern China." * 



The limestone in which this Orthoceras is found 

 extends, according to Mr. Cockburn, over a large 

 tract of country, say from 30 to 40 miles by 10 

 miles, and perhaxDs larger, on both sides of a 

 tributary (as large as the Dee at Aberdeen) which 

 falls into the Yangtse three miles above I'chang, or 

 within two miles of the limestone gorges of the 

 great river. It is called the Chang-chias-chee (Long 

 Bridge Creek). There is no bridge in existence 

 now; travellers are taken across in crazy boats, but 

 have usually to wade where fordable, or risk being 

 carried over on the back of a coolie. This creek 

 runs through a very wild country, sometimes forcing 

 its way through gorges, sometimes flowing through 

 small alluvial i3lains, enclosed by hills on either side 

 like an amphitheatre. The name Pagoda stone is 

 a literal translation of the Chinese, and evidently 

 has arisen from the resemblance the chambers bear 

 to the successive stories in a Pagoda. 



Some specimens, but not good ones, are found 

 within ten miles of where the creek joins the 

 * Kingsmill, Quart. Jouru. Geol. Soc, vol. xxvii., 1871. 



