192 Mr. Verchére on the Geology of Kashmir, [No. 3, 
similar to the iron-ore of Kothair; and when it is remembered how 
essentially volcanic the Carboniferous period has been, it is no great 
stretch of imagination to assume, that much of the iron contained in 
the rocks of that period was derived from hot chalybeate springs, rather 
than from decomposed minerals on the surface of the earth. 
Here ends the description of the Kothair bed. No rocks superior 
to it (excepting lacustrine and alluvial deposits) were seen in Kashmir, 
and the Kothair bed appears the most superficial stratum existing 
there. In other localities, both in the Himalaya and in the Punjab, 
Secondary and Tertiary rocks cover in the Paleozoic beds, but neither 
Oolitic, Nummulitic nor Miocene are to be seen in Kashmir proper, 
that is, between the Pir Punjal and the Ser and Mer chains, and 
betweeft the northern branch of the Kaj Nag and the chain connecting 
the Ser and Mer chain to the Kistwar mountains. 
52. As far as I could learn, the whole of the hills, which fill up 
with their spurs the south-eastern end of the valley, are composed 
of carboniferous limestone; this appears to go as far as the foot of 
the range which separates Kashmir from Maroo and Kistwar, where 
the limestone rests on volcanic rocks. Producti have been found 
among éboulis close to the volcanic rock high up the slopes, and it is 
therefore probable that the Zeeawan bed reappears under the Weean 
and Kothair beds, as we near the volcanic rocks. The river Bringh, 
which drains all the 8. EH. and a good deal of the east of the valley, 
carries in its bed boulders of volcanic rocks and of carboniferous lime- 
stone. No granite was seen. : 
As I have not visited these hills and possess only little information 
on their geology, I will not enter here into any detail of what may 
be inferred from reports received by travellers who are not geologists, 
and I must refer the reader to the map for the probable position of 
the several rocks which compose these hills. 
53. To the N. W. of Srinuggur there is one more mountain 
belonging to the same catenated chain of summits which we have 
described in this chapter; it is the Safapoor, with its outlier, the 
Aha Tung, and the beautiful little lake of Manus Bal at its foot. 
This locality is interesting, and I will describe it in detail. (See 
Sections EH and F'; Section IV. of General Map). The Safapoor 
and the Aha Tung are both composed of volcanic rocks exactly 
similar to those which we have seen at the Tukt-i-Suliman and the 
