1868.] 



KINGSMILL GEOLOGY OF CHINJl . 



125 



but in general, throughout the east and north-east of Kwangtung 

 and the greater portion of Puhkien, igneous and metamorphic rocks 

 form the most conspicuous geological feature of the country. The 



Pig. 4. — Part Section of Si Tungting-shan. 

 (Scale 4 miles to 1 inch.) 



W.S.W. E.N.E. 



Band with Limestone Taihu 



vegetable fossils. Villages. Villages. Quarries. Lake. 



1 2 3 4 3 5 



1. Grits and Shales, No. 3. 4. Quartzose Shales, probably No. 5. 



2. Limestone with Chert-nodules, No. 4. 5. Limestone, No. 6. 



3. Alluvial deposits. 



granites of the coast-chain and of some inland districts, of Kwangtung 

 and Kiangsi especially, give a forbidding aspect to the scenery where 

 they occur. From the large amount of mica they contain, as well 

 as from the excess of alkaline materials of the felspar, they are 

 readily decomposed, and have yielded to the disintegrating action of 

 the atmosphere (in these regions saturated with water for a large 

 portion of the year) to an enormous extent, leaving behind a mass of 

 soft unctuous clay surrounding the grains of unaltered quartz. The 

 granite, however, is very concretionary in its structure and irregular 

 in character ; and here and there are to be seen large masses of solid 

 stone, which have resisted decomposition and lie like enormous 

 boulders imbedded in the surrounding matrix. In places exposed 

 to the wear and tear of the tropical rains this matrix has been 

 washed away ; and the undecomposed masses left far and wide over 

 the surfaces of the hills have more than once been referred to as the 

 results of glacial action, corresponding with the boulder drift of more 

 northern latitudes*. In many localities this decomposed rock, annu- 

 ally washed by the rains, assumes a most barren aspect, giving a 

 blank and desolate appearance to the coast of the southern provinces 

 as seen from the sea, deep channels worn by the mountain-torrents, 

 and detached masses of every form scattered about, giving the whole 

 an air of utter confusion. At Amoy especially may this be noticed, 

 where the whole coast seaward presents a mass of white sandy hills 

 glariug in a subtropical sun, and only relieved by the black of the 

 detached boulders which he around. 



Granite, however, is not the only plutonic rock to be met with. 

 In Kwangtung and Fuhkien large masses of porphyry of many vari- 

 eties are found ; trachytes containing a large portion of free silica are 

 likewise abundant, as also large masses of greenstone. In Fuhkien 

 large quantities of rock apparently felspar are found, of a fine grain 

 and greenish colour, which form admirable building-stones. In 

 Kiangsu and the Yangtse provinces granites and trachytes seem to 

 form the characteristic igneous rocks. 



* See Ansted's ' Elementary Course of Greology,' 2nd Edit. p. 42. 



