292 WYNNE : GEOLOGY OF THE SALT RANGE IN THE PUNJAB. 



The detailed accounts of the mines given in publications already 

 referred to being very copious, it has been sought to convey here a fair 

 o-eneral impression of the deposits, rather than reiterate all the details 

 previously published. 



The new facts ascertained by the latest explorations are chiefly 

 these : — 



(1.) Where the workings have been most carefully surveyed, the 

 salt has been found in zones, consisting of several distinct beds, within 

 distances of about 600 feet, 200 feet, and less, of the top of the marl 

 and gypsum. 



(2.) That the arrangement and thickness of the beds, and the quantity 

 of marl and gypsum (more or less intermixed) intervening between the 

 salt-zones, and between the group superior to the marl and the salt 

 itself, indicate more variability than sameness of the exact horizon upon 

 which the salt is found. 



(3.) That there seems to be a larger development of so-called bad 

 salt in the western than in the eastern part of the district (which bad 

 salt would, however, in other districts be extremely valuable). 



(4.) The recent and most detailed explorations by the Salt Depart- 

 ment have been chiefly confined to the old workings, and other beds of 

 salt have not been sought for, except at Mount Tilla, where none has 

 yet been found. Without regular prospecting operations it would be 

 impossible to hope for information about the salt-rock in this or other 

 directions, partly on account of the tendency which the marl has to 

 conceal the enclosed salt ; and whether the lower part of this "' red marl " 

 does or does not also contain valuable beds of salt is quite unknown. 



Should it ever become necessary, the best place, perhaps, for ascer- 

 taining this would be the ground about Chambal hill (west) between 

 the Jutana and Kusak Beats. 



Though the method of mining the salt is being improved, and 

 arrangements for its transport by wire-tramway and rail from Khewra 

 ( 292 ) 



