8 Geological Notes on the Khasi Hills. [No. 1, 



hills, on either side is to be seen an equal bending and displacement of 

 the strata at their base. 



Nongstoin, the residence of the Seem, or native chief of that name, 

 is situated near the edge of the general fall, towards the west and 

 south. A road leads out into the western part of the Nongstoin state, 

 via Nongsirigriang. Crossing the Kerkonskiongba river, 400 feet 

 immediately below, its bed is seen cut through the metamorphic 

 rocks ; thence ascending to the plateau on the other side, the village of 

 Nongrompoi is reached. This part loses fast the open bare features of 

 the Khasi Hills, large timber trees come in, with densely wooded 

 ravines, principally bamboo, until with the descent to the Umiam river 

 and the village of the same name, this jungle growth becomes so dense, 

 that nothing can be seen of the country on either side of the path. 

 The scenery in the above valley is very lovely near the river, fine 

 trees on every side overhang the still winding reaches of the 

 Umiam. To the traveller it is both striking and novel scenery. It 

 was only in the beds of streams that the rock in situ could be 

 seen ; this still continued to be of azoic age. Turning S . W. up, 

 over and down low ridges covered with the same monotonous jungle 

 of bamboo, grasses, and shrubs, Maomarin was reached, and a short 

 distance to the west is Nongkuba built on a clearing at the south side 

 of a hill, called Lamdekar in the map (properly Lumdellor, Khasi) 

 conspicuous even at Nongshingring from its sharply cut, though low 

 scarp. On this hill is the site of one of the principal trigonometrical 

 stations of the Khasi Hills Survey, and this led to my obtaining an 

 insight into the formation. Nongkuba stands on a hard hornblendic 

 gneiss, slightly pink in places, with a certain amount of bedding, the 

 dip being very high to the north ; it was of very compact grain and 

 different to the same class of rocks hitherto seen in the East. 



On leaving the base of Lamdekar Hill, at the very commencement 

 of the ascent, is met a dark blue grey, and coarsish grit, having 

 scattered water- worn pebbles of quartzitic rock in it. At the next 

 portion of the ascent and the main one to the summit, these 

 pebbles are not seen, but the same coloured grit, very con- 

 spicuous from its extreme neutral grey colour, occurs as a thick bed 

 of quite 14 feet. This is succeeded by beds of a lighter colour, 

 but still coarse texture. Higher again it changes to a bed of 



