1842.] of the Himmalay a Mountains. iii 



him, who fearful of being wrong where as yet it is impossible to be 

 always right, and unsatisfied with the best he is able to attain, delays 

 the record of his observations to the period of perfection." Should it 

 be considered as redeeming in any degree the pledge of industry and 

 zeal, which my acceptance of such an appointment must have held out, 

 I shall consider its chief end answered. 



3. Hereafter, when a more enlarged field of observation shall be 

 attained, I trust I shall be able to make it more worthy the attention of 

 the scientific geologist. Having once put on record what has been 

 done, and digested it into something like a regular form, it will be easy 

 to add to it as my researches extend and become more particular. One 

 part will throw light on another. A particular fact carefully observed, 

 may sometimes lead to a happy generalisation, and in this way many 

 deficiencies will I hope be supplied which must necessarily attend so 

 early an effort. In the meantime, imperfect as it is, this paper will 

 have its uses. By exhibiting what has been done, it will shew what 

 remains to do, and it will serve as a guide to direct any future labours, 

 by pointing out in what quarter interesting facts may, or may not be 

 expected to occur. 



4. Considered as a geological description of these mountains, many 

 blanks will be observed. For besides that, it was impossible in so short 

 a time to go over every part of them, there is a difficulty peculiar to 

 this quarter which very much interferes with geological investigation. 

 This is the total absence of every kind of excavation calculated to 

 afford information, whether mines, roads, or quarries. The former, few 

 as they are, are inaccessible to any but those accustomed to them from 

 their infancy. The total length of roads as yet laid open, does not 

 much exceed 150 miles, and such is the light thrown on the subject 

 along the different lines as to render it still more a matter of regret 

 that we have not greater access in this way to the actual rocks, the 

 nature of which is often only to be guessed at. Of quarries there are 

 absolutely none, for the province, though possessing excellent limestone, 

 slate, and other productions, capable of being turned to account, had 

 been, up to the period of our conquest, so wretchedly misgoverned, as to 

 have occasioned resources of this kind to He utterly neglected. From 

 the consequent difficulty of determining in many cases the nature 

 or relations of the rocks, some particulars have necessarily been taken 



