284 A NATURALIST IN HIMALAYA 



display steep, almost precipitous, cliffs, while to the 

 north they sink towards the valleys in a more gentle 

 slope. Many shades of purple, rose and yellow fade 

 imperceptibly one into the other, giving a variety 

 of colour to the stone. There is no sign of any 

 organic remains. Not an organism can be found in 

 these dense limestone strata. All are crystallized and 

 crushed out of recognition in the terrific force of the 

 upheaval. 



We wander on in the same direction ; we cross over 

 faults in the limestone cliffs and soon become aware of 

 the fact that the rock has assumed a pale blue tint. 

 Almost imperceptibly we have climbed over to the next 

 zone, the Triassic limestones. In broken and detached 

 masses they rest upon the older series and cling to the 

 flanks of the forest-clad hills. We search them as we 

 pass on. Here and there are yellow patches in the 

 solid mass or indistinct blotches like the marks of 

 organic beings. Now we come upon a volcanic out- 

 burst ; it is a dark red breccia, and we can detect the 

 innumerable volcanic fragments that compose it and 

 ponder over the molten lava that overflowed the 

 ancient mountains. Further on we find the limestone 

 heavy and black with iron, and still further on we may 

 see the natives hewing its substance for building- 

 stones. Again we search for organic remains, but 

 nothing is to be found in the broken rock except little 

 fragments of Megalodon and splinters of other fossil 

 shells that obstinately refuse to separate from the 

 stone. Yet we value these broken fragments ; they 

 are the first we have found in our long journey from 

 the central granite over the unfossiliferous deposits of 

 vast ages ; they give us an inkling of the geological 



