1867.] the Western Himalaya and Afghan Mountains. 35 



bably continuous, through Sooroo, with beds of limestone seen between 

 Moolbek and Khurbu. 



I do not know what sort of rock forms the summit of the Kun Non 

 or Ser and Mer Peaks (23,407 ft.) but their north-eastern slope and spurs 

 are composed of gneiss and schist ; these metamorphic rocks extend 

 as far as the Sojji La, where they are gi*aduating into beds of the 

 coarse slaty shales described above ; on the north of the road it is 

 continued by beds of slate and of sandstone extremely micaceous and 

 resting on mica-schists, of which some specimens effervesce powerfully 

 with acids. Beds of metamorphic white marble are also seen, but 

 the great bulk of the mountains between Tillail and the Deosai is 

 made up of granite, shist and mica-slate. 



Following the great chain to the S. E. we find it crossed by several 

 passes of which the Bara Lacha (16,505 ft.) and the Parungla (18,794 

 ft.) are the most celebrated and frequented. Mr. Marcadieu describes 

 these passes as being principally through granitic rocks ; but unfor- 

 tunately Mr. Marcadieu does not seem to have enjoyed much his 

 visit to these " belles horreurs" and he gives us little geological infor- 

 mation, but many complaints, about these " delights of Satan," as he 

 calls the mountains. 



South-east of the Sutlej, the chain continues to be mostly granitic. It 

 is studded with noble peaks, Porgyul (22,700, ft.) Baldang (21,400 ft.) 

 Kamet (25,000) and Nanda Devi (25,700, ft.) all of them made up of 

 granite, gneiss, and schist. But I must refer the reader to Captain 

 R. Strachey's paper " on the geology of part of the Himalaya moun- 

 tains,"* for the mountains south-east of the Sutlej. 



74. Having crossed the Ser and Mer Parallel, we find ourselves in 

 the great trough between this chain and that of the Kailas peak 

 (which I shall call for convenience sake the Kailas chain) and we 

 may hardly call this trough a valley, considering that it is a plateau 

 from 10 to 12,000 feet high above the level of the sea ; and yet it is 

 a valley between the two great parallels which tower over it by some 

 10,000 feet more. It comprises the districts of Deosai, Soroo and 

 Drass, Ladak proper, Zanskar, Rukshu and in the S. E. the great 

 plateau of Tibet through which runs the Sutlej and inhabited by the 

 Hundes. This last or south-eastern portion of the trough is toler- 

 * Proceedings of the Geological Society of London, June, 1851. 



