Mr.W. C.Williamson on Geological Specimens from Syria. 233 



Mr. Lay saj-s, if lie understood his informant rightly, a large supply 

 of fuel might be obtained from the island. Lignite is also found 

 by the natives in sandstone in a deep valley or ravine, not far from 

 Borneo city, and believed by the author to be that called Kianggi, 

 The bed extends obliquely from one side of the ravine to the other, 

 forming an angle of about 45°, with the direction of a rivulet, 

 Avliich flows through the valley ; and it is stated to be more than 

 two yards in breadth. The valley is accessible by a path called 

 Jalan-subrek, and conspicuous from the palace of the Sultan, but it 

 is steep, rugged, and narrow. The distance from the water-edge is 

 less than two miles. The whole of the peninsula lying on one side 

 of the river is formed of very steep hills, which gradually become 

 more lofty towards the south-west. Upon the main land, or oppo- 

 site side of the river, the ridges are supposed to range at right angles 

 to the mountains. They are composed, generally, of a soft sand- 

 stone, alternating M'ith clay; but on the summit of one of the 

 hills, Mr. Lay noticed the outcrop of a hard red sandstone, formed 

 of round and angular masses of quartz, particles of black mica, and 

 a ferruginous cement. 



A paper was last read, " On some Geological Specimens from 

 Syria ;" by Mr. W. C. Williamson. 



The specimens were sent to England by Mr. Heugh, to whom 

 the author states, he is indebted for a few notes respecting the local- 

 ities, whence they were obtained. The chief districts are the vici- 

 nity of Beyroot, especially Mount Gebeel Suneen, which forms the 

 part of the Lebanon range immediately above Beyroot. The tri- 

 angular tongue of land, on, which that town is built, is about four 

 miles in extent from the mountains to the coast, and it presents an 

 undulating surface, some of the higher points attaining 500 feet 

 above the level of the sea. The formation of which it is composed, 

 is a hard cream-coloured limestone, which exhibits in the cliffs along 

 the sea-shore numerous veins of flint ; and it is in one part of the 

 coast overlaid by a soft calcareous rock, occasionally 100 feet thick. 

 The latter stone is easily wrought, and is employed as a building 

 material, being better able to resist the effects of the earthquakes 

 than the harder and more compact rock. 



On ascending Gebeel Suneen from the flat plain, which extends 

 along its foot, and is 400 feet above the level of the sea, the follow- 

 ing rocks are passed over : — 



Compact limestone 1200 to 1500 feet. 



Coarse siliceous conglomerate, containing 

 thin seams of lignite, and fragments of 

 siliceous wood 800 



Compact limestone 2000 



A very ferruginous rock, composed of mi- 

 nute grains of sand, tliiekly coated with 

 hydrated oxide of iron 50 



A seam of oysters, which may be traced 

 completely around the mountain 



