1866. ] the Western Himalaya and Afghan Mountains. fon 
Fig. 4. crystals disappear and are replaced 
Soe Tore Se SS by amygdala filled with quartz 
a (fig. 4.) Other beds again of compact 
< _trachyte show neither starry crystals 
nor amygdala in their centres, but 
have their deepest layers invaded by 
large amygdala, and their upper- 
"0.0 Ne mn - sos ae em or a 
ea CED EaT *=° most portion full of small geodes, 
having besides a scoriaceous aspect 
fof Je'o % %"o “oo (fig. 5). 
Fig. 5. In the middle of this bed of Sooli- 
manite, some of the cylindrical tubes of quartz described before as 
gas-vents are well developed, branching in all directions through the 
Oar Omrenecenerssclsv sats eset nceces vs se eine cess about 30 feet. 
12. Slate of various colours, laminated and very false-bedded, often squeezed 
and twisted. It has been folded, the lower part being nearly vertical with a dip 
westerly, whilst the upper part dips east 65°. The centre of the fold is much 
contorted and gathered in zig-zags, and in these contorted parts a great many 
gas-vents (branching cylinders of quartz) are well seen; some as large as the 
finger, others of the usual size, viz. a crow’s quill. ...... ..c.ceeseesee ees 200 ft. 
13. A band of Soolimanite like 11. The slate of No. 12, has evidently 
been metamorphosed by the action of heat emitted by the band of Soolimanite 
which covers it. There must have been a considerable period of inaction 
between the two out-pours of Soolimanite to enable the slate to become collect- 
ed, and it is evident that the slate was yet in the state of a silty mud at 
the time of the second eruption and was set bubbling by the heat of the 
Soolimanite. 
Imay here remark that I am satisfied that many of the layers 
of laterite, cellular slate and ash, which we shall see in this 
section, are nothing but true sedimentary deposits metamorphosed 
and rendered amygdaloidal by the bubbling or boiling of the 
waters which covered them. I had thought at one time, to try and 
distinguish the beds of ash and volcanic mud which were probably 
formed as I have just explained ; but I found the work too uncertain 
and requiring too much time to be worth prosecuting. But no doubt 
can be entertained that, besides the slate and laterite, many of the 
beds of the mountains of Kashmir which appear to be volcanic ash 
or dust, are in reality metamorphosed sedimentary layers. 
