CHINA, MONGOLIA, AND JAPAN. 51 



CHAPTERVI.i 



ON THE GENERAL GEOLOGY OF CHINA PROPER; A GENERAL- 

 IZATION BASED ON OBSERVATIONS, AND ON THE MINERAL 

 PRODUCTIONS AND THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SURFACE. 



It is with much misgiving that I begin even an attempt at a general sketch of 

 the geology of China. The great extent of the country., the very limited area 

 examined geologically, the, mostly, very general character of the observations made 

 within that area, and onr ignorance of the geological structure of the surrounding 

 countries, render the attempt more than dangerous. 



The sketch, and the map accompanying it, make no claims to accuracy, but I 

 hope to show by means of them the leading features of the structure of the country, 

 as deduced from observations in parts of the country and from mineral productions. 

 The fact that hardly any two maps of China resemble each other in the geographi- 

 cal names ; and that on most of them many of the names that I must use are not 

 given, renders a sketch-map necessary, and this is to be regarded as a colored guide 

 to the generalizations, and not as a geological map of the country. 



The data on which the generalizations are founded consist in : — 



My own observations. 



The observations of other European travellers. 



And in the information obtained from Chinese authorities. 



The limits of my own observations have been already given ; they were confined 

 to the valley of the Yangtse Kiang, from the sea to near the eastern boundary of 

 Sz'chuen, and to the northern departments of the provinces of Chihli and Shansi. 

 The results of this portion of the data have been given in the preceding pages. 



The observations of European travellers have furnished, so far as my knowledge 

 of them goes, but very little information on the geology of the country, and even 

 this is often vague and evidently incorrect. I have thought it worth while to give, 

 in a condensed form, such information as I have been able to extract from this 

 source. 



Nanhing to Canton? — Gray, compact limestone is quarried back of Nanking. 

 Siaukushan [Little Orphan Island], near the mouth of Poyang lake, is pudding- 



» See Map, PI. 6. 



" Clarke Abel. Narrative of a Journey in tbe Interior of China, and of a Voyage to and from the 

 Country, 1816—1817, etc. Lond. 1818. 



