270 Capt. Cautley on the Sevdtik Hills. 



of granite, gneiss, mica slate, quartz, hornblende schist, and 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 different proportions of mica, or of 

 an admixture of the other ingredients so common in all river sands. The pre- 

 sence of oxyd 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 quarried for building; and in many localities where it is crystalhne, 

 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 

 17th century ; and although now in utter ruin, amongst its fragments are 

 capitals of columns, and scolloped arch work, &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 dimen- 

 sions. 



Lignite. — Carbonaceous matter occurs throughout the sandstones, either in 

 detached fragments exhibiting vegetable origin, or in strata or seams com- 

 posed of sandstone 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 

 shingle strata. It has never been found in sufficient abundance to excite an 

 inquiry as to its adaptation for oeconomical purposes ; though it is common to 

 the whole of this tract of mountains. Eastward of the Ganges it has been 

 found, to the north of the Moradabad 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 Ka- 

 lowala Pass, one of the entrances into the Deyra Dhoon, from the plains. A 

 stratum or bed of yellow and red sand, about 18 inches thick, is there com- 

 pletely charged with lignite, either in long flattened masses, or in trans- 

 verse sections of trunks of trees, which show, by their elliptical form, effects 



