IN THE EASTERN SALT-RANGE, PUNJAB. 347 



conditions which so largely mark the accumulation of the whole 

 Salt-liange series, and with the horizontally limited distribution of 

 so manj^ of its characteristic members, the recurrence of similar 

 mechanically formed beds at different vertical stages presents no 

 improbability, indeed would seem more likely to occur than very 

 abrupt changes. 



It would be difficult to suppose conditions of glaciation in any 

 way limited to the areas of chief development of these boulder- 

 beds ; but it would be still more difficult to recognize, either in 

 their contents or their distribution, such evidence that their largest 

 developments were contemporaneous as would outweigh their relations 

 of position, respectively and severally united with the uppermost 

 and lowest rocks of the series, at different parts of the range. 

 Even if the most elastic use be made of the word contemporaneous, 

 the deduction to follow the identification of the eastern with the 

 western boulder-beds would be, that almost the whole Salt-Eange 

 series was of a certain glacial age, overriding all other chrono- 

 logical indications ; or if these last were to any extent admitted, 

 the glacial period would have to be extended through enormous 

 intervals of geological tim6 in order to include the whole of the 

 boulder-beds and their related deposits. The evidence afforded 

 by a few rounded and striated boulders in isolated deposits at 

 different vertical positions in a series is hardly capable of such 

 an interpretation as would result from its aiDplication to the full 

 extent suggested or advocated in Dr. "Waagen's paper. In the 

 trans-Indus area some idea of the place of the boulder-beds is to be 

 obtained from the presence beneath them of such purple sandstones 

 as form the great group of that name, to the east, immediately over- 

 lying the salt-marl ; but among the earthy masses full of boulders, 

 I found it hard to fix upon any blocks exhibiting distinct glacial 

 striation ; and the alternation with gypseous and sandstone beds is 

 so frequent that the whole group might well contain equivalents of 

 other absent characteristic members, before it is succeeded, with the 

 usual conformity, ])y the Carboniferous Proc^wc^its-limestones, &c. 



Where the Indus crosses the range, the boulder-beds are much 

 less prominent ; but here the greatest obscurity prevails from land- 

 shps and faulting, with, it may be, limited deposition or even uncon- 

 formity, insufficiently proved. 



Further east in the Salt Eauge proper, about Swas, and towards 

 the south-east as far as Amb and the neighbourhood of Sakesir Peak, 

 boulder-deposits occasionally reappear just above the " Purple 

 Sandstone," or taking the ])lace of either its basal or upper parts — 

 sometimes appearing to be closely connected with the " Salt-Marl," 

 and sometimes in, or under, the " Speckled Sandstone,'' where this 

 is present. 



Following these boulder-beds still further eastward, their last 

 representative recognized in that direction was immediately overlain 

 by the westerly continuation of the " Obohi,s-heds"^\ 



From this it would appear that conditions favourable to the pro- 

 * My Salt-Range Eeport, p. 207. 



