﻿NUMMULITIC 
  OR 
  EOCENE 
  GROUP. 
  101 
  

  

  belong 
  to 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  group, 
  and 
  the 
  ridge 
  between 
  Choungkwa 
  

   and 
  Thambula 
  may 
  in 
  part 
  belong- 
  to 
  it. 
  The 
  summits 
  of 
  this 
  ridge 
  

   from 
  a 
  distance 
  present 
  a 
  somewhat 
  striking 
  appearance, 
  the 
  peaks 
  

   consisting 
  of 
  smooth 
  bosses 
  of 
  naked 
  rock 
  weathering 
  in 
  much 
  the 
  

   fashion 
  of 
  granite, 
  in 
  tor-like 
  masses. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  mineral 
  

   character 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  prevailing 
  sandstones 
  of 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   group. 
  These 
  sandstones 
  are 
  compact, 
  thick 
  bedded, 
  of 
  a 
  • 
  yellowish 
  or 
  

   grey 
  color, 
  not 
  very 
  hard, 
  and 
  are 
  usually 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  argillaceous 
  in 
  

   constitution, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  this 
  compact 
  earthy 
  sandstone 
  which 
  is 
  prone 
  to 
  

   weather 
  into 
  rounded 
  bosses 
  or 
  blocks, 
  often 
  of 
  huge 
  dimensions, 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  clean 
  and 
  free 
  from 
  vegetation, 
  save 
  where 
  a 
  

   fissure 
  permits 
  some 
  stunted 
  tree 
  to 
  take 
  root. 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  these 
  beds 
  contain 
  hard 
  nodular 
  concretions, 
  of 
  from 
  three 
  

   to 
  fifteen 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  of 
  an 
  almost 
  subcrystalline 
  texture, 
  which 
  

   impart 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  a 
  conglomerate 
  to 
  the 
  bed 
  containing 
  them 
  ; 
  they 
  

   are, 
  however, 
  merely 
  nests 
  of 
  finer 
  and 
  more 
  calcareous 
  material 
  than 
  

   the 
  surrounding 
  rock, 
  and 
  of 
  innate, 
  not 
  extraneous 
  origin. 
  Small 
  

   Nummulites 
  occur 
  low 
  down 
  in 
  the 
  group 
  in 
  some 
  shaly 
  beds 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  

   could 
  detect 
  no 
  other 
  fossils 
  whatever. 
  

  

  Below 
  these 
  sandstones 
  comes 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  thickness 
  of 
  blue 
  shales. 
  

   These 
  are 
  well 
  seen 
  about 
  Gwaygi 
  (or 
  Gyeng-gay) 
  eight 
  miles 
  South- 
  

   south-west 
  of 
  Choungkwa 
  on 
  the 
  Mahton. 
  These 
  shales 
  are 
  massive, 
  

   that 
  is, 
  the 
  bedding 
  is 
  not 
  readily 
  recognisable 
  save 
  where 
  sandstone 
  beds 
  

   intervene. 
  The 
  rock 
  is 
  unctuous, 
  tough, 
  and 
  clunchy, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  rather 
  

   dark 
  indigo 
  blue, 
  quite 
  a 
  distinct 
  tint 
  from 
  the 
  Sitsyahn 
  shales, 
  at 
  the 
  

   base 
  of 
  the 
  newer 
  Tertiaries; 
  but 
  this 
  characteristic 
  dark 
  hue 
  is 
  not 
  

   always 
  present, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  being 
  lighter 
  in 
  color, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  

   time 
  more 
  tender 
  and 
  friable. 
  The 
  whole 
  of 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  is, 
  

   however, 
  very 
  homogeneous 
  in 
  general 
  character, 
  and 
  most 
  provokingly 
  

   deficient 
  in 
  fossils, 
  the 
  only 
  organic 
  remains 
  noticed 
  by 
  me 
  being 
  a 
  few 
  

   cycloidal 
  scales 
  near 
  Gwaygi, 
  but 
  these 
  were 
  very 
  rare, 
  and 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  

  

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