Dec. 1848. GEOLOGY. SUNSET FKOM MAINOM. 309 



overlie the gneiss and granite, we may reasonably con- 

 clude that many thousand feet have been removed. 



It is further assumable that the stratified rocks originally 

 took the forms of great domes, or arches. The prevailing 

 north-west strike throughout the Himalaya vaguely in- 

 dicates a general primary arrangement of the curves into 

 waves, whose crests run north-west and south-east ; an 

 arrangement which no minor or posterior forces have 

 wholly disturbed, though they have produced endless 

 dislocations, and especially a want of uniformity in the 

 amount and direction of the dip. Whether the loftiest 

 waves were the result of one great convulsion, or of a long- 

 continued succession of small ones, the effect w r ould be the 

 same, namely, that the strata over those points at which 

 the granite penetrated the highest, would be the most dis- 

 located, and the most exposed to wear during denudation. 



We enjoyed the view of this superb scenery till noon, 

 when the clouds which had obscured Dorjiling since 

 morning were borne towards us by the southerly wind, 

 rapidly closing in the landscape on all sides. At sunset 

 they again broke, retreating from the northward, and 

 rising from Sinchul and Dorjiling last of all, whilst a line 

 of vapour, thrown by perspective into one narrow band, 

 se'emed to belt the Singalelah range with a white girdle, 

 darkened to black where it crossed the snowy mountains ; 

 and it was difficult to believe that this belt did not really 

 hang upon the ranges from twenty to thirty miles off, 

 against which it was projected ; or that its true position was 

 comparatively close to the mountain on which we were 

 standing, and was due to condensation around its cool, 

 broad, flat summit. 



As usual from such elevations, sunset produced many 

 beautiful effects. The zenith was a deep blue, darkening 



