STEUCTURE OF SEWALIK HILLS. 33 



traps ; and every other rock, through which these rivers hold 

 their course. If the beds of the Jumna and Ganges were to 

 be upheaved, in the same way as those of former rivers, the 

 appearance of the strata would be exactly similar. The 

 sandstone consists either of grains of pure quartz, with 

 difierent proportions of mica, or of an admixture of the other 

 ingredients so common in all river sands. The presence of 

 oxide of iron causes a great variety in colour, from red to gray, 

 whilst the induration of the rock appears to depend on the 

 proportion of carbonate of lime. In the more easterly limit 

 opposite Hurdwar, as well as other places, the stone is 

 quanted for building ; and in many localities where it is 

 crystalline it is highly valuable in architecture. On the 

 Jumna are the remains of an ancient hunting palace, built 

 by the emperor Shah Juhan at the end of the seventeenth 

 century ; and although now in utter ruin, amongst its frag- 

 ments are capitals of columns, and scolloped archwork, &c., 

 cut in this sandstone, which prove it to be well adapted for 

 architectural purposes. It is easily worked, and the mixture 

 of mica gives two splitting surfaces. On exposure to weather, 

 however, it exfoliates and crumbles, as is conspicuously shown 

 in some lintels, still in position at Badshahmuhul. The colours 

 of the clays are endless ; and a light blue variety, which is 

 found under the marl, as well as higher up in the series, where 

 it contains fresh- water shells, is exceedingly pure. The strata 

 of this blue clay are thin, but those of the other varieties are 

 of all dimensions. 



Lignite. — Carbonaceous matter occurs throughout the 

 sandstones, either in detached fragments exhibiting vege- 

 table origin, or in strata or seams composed of sandstones 

 and lignite in equal proportions. Lignite is also found in 

 the marl, but generally in the form of black dust ; leaving, 

 on its removal, an indistinct, vegetable impression. In one 

 instance I also met with it in the shmgle strata. It has 

 never been found in sufficient abundance to excite an inquiry 

 as to its adaptation for economical purposes ; though it is 

 common to the whole of this tract of mountains. Eastward 

 of the Granges it has been found, to the north of the Morada- 

 bad district ; and it agrees in every respect with that found 

 elsewhere. It has also been met with at points still more 

 easterly.; but the examination of that tract has been very 

 slight. The most interesting point at which I have found 

 lignite is at the mouth of the Kalowala pass, one of the en- 

 trances into the Deyra Dhoon, from the plains. A stratum 

 or bed of yellow and red sand, about eighteen inches thick, 

 is there completely charged with lignite, either in long flat- 

 tened masses, or in transverse sections of trunks of trees. 



VOL. I. D 



