64 GEOLOGICAL RESEARCHES IN 



the "Regent's Sword," and thence through Liautung, as the Changpeh shan, divid- 

 ing the waters of the Yakih and of the Usuri from those of the Liau and the Sim- 

 gari. In passing close under the precipitous shores of Liautung, I observed that 

 this promontory is made up of parallel N. E. S. W. ridges, and the rocks had aU 

 the appearance of limestone. 



Between this central axis and that previously described, lies, perhaps, the most 

 important fold of the Coal measures. Beginning in the extreme north, we find 

 coal at several localities along the west coast of Liautung, and along the "Palisade" 

 west of the Liau river. In northern Chihli are the coal basins of Yungping F., of 

 Peking, and of Kwanping F. ; in Shansi those of Pingting C, Taiyuen F., Fan- 

 chau F., Hoh C, Pingyang F., Tsehchau F., and Kiang C; in Honan those of 

 Honan F. This main fold, or zone of folds, seems to occupy a large part of the 

 provinces of Sz'chuen and Yunnan. Many minor ridges bring the limestone to the 

 surface in these provinces. In this region almost aU the indications of the Coal 

 measures, exclusive of the information given by Capt. Blackiston, refer to the great 

 salt deposits. The following considerations have led me to look upon these deposits 

 as members of the Chinese Coal measures. Some, at least, are in the neighborhood 

 of abundant coal mines.^ Thick coal seams are sometimes bored through before 

 reaching the salt. They occur at various points along the Yangtse as in Wushan 

 H., Chingking F., and Siichau F., in all which places they must be very near ridges 

 of limestone, but above that formation. In Shunking F. and in Kiating F., they 

 are also near such ridges. If the wells are in rocks younger than the limestone, 

 their depth (500 to 2,600 feet) cannot penetrate to anything older than the lime- 

 stone. This, and the fact that thick seams of coal are bored through in these weUs, 

 and the remark of Blackiston that aU the coal rocks he saw in Sz'chuen resembled 

 those of the Kwei coal field, the character of which we know, render it, I think, 

 probable that both the coal and the .salt deposits belong to the Chinese Coal 

 measiu'es. 



The region in question, though containing many small parallel troughs, seems to 

 be, as a whole, a major trough, if I may use the expression, between two principal 

 anticlinal axes, and, as such, it seems to be traceable through Eastern Asia. To it 

 the S. W, N. E. course of the Yangtse in Sz'chuen owes its direction, and the same 

 may be said of the northern part of the delta plain, the Gulf of Pechele, the valley 

 of the Liau river, and that of the lower Amur, and the depression in which lies the 

 Gulf of Penjinsk. 



On the sketch map the two members of the central anticlinal axis, which we 

 have seen to exist where it crosses the Yangtse, are represented as continuing 

 separately in Honan and Kweichau. Whether the course of the Wu river, in the 

 latter province, is sufficient indication of a continuation of the synclinal trough of 

 Kwei toward the S. W. is doubtful, but to the N. E. the coal basins of Ju C. in 

 Honan, and of Yihte H. (Tsingchau F.) in Shantung fall in that line. 



East of this central axis is another major trough or basin. In this are some of 

 the coal basins of Hunan, the lalve-plain of the Tungting, and the valleys of the 



» Imbcrt, ill Annales de I'Assoc. pour la propag. de la Foi. 



