1842.] of the Himmalay a Mountains. xlvii 



could be judged of by contour, the mountains would appear to be clay- 

 slate. 



92. To the north of Shipkee, between the Sutlej and the Speetee 

 rivers, is gneiss, with some patches of granite, but whether veins or beds, 

 must be left for determination on a future visit. This gneiss continues 

 again by Nako to Shalkur, beyond which it is succeeded in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Soomra and Laree by clay slate. We have thus traced gneiss 

 very nearly to the confines of our possessions. In returning down the 

 right bank of the river, we find it equally prevalent, the whole way from 

 Shalkur to Woongtoo, with the following inconsiderable exceptions ; lime- 

 stone occurs in the bed of the Yoollung, which joins the Sutlej near 

 Leoo, and again on the Hungrung Pass, (14,000 feet.) Whether these 

 masses are connected, or form two distinct beds, must be left for future 

 decision. Granite is found in the neighboured of Rarung, Meero, and 

 Rogee : with these exceptions, and perhaps an occasional bed of mica 

 slate and quartz rock, the whole of this line is gneiss. 



93. The preceding account of the rocks of this tract, derived from 

 recollection, agrees in the main with one published in the first volume 

 of the Geological Transactions, new series, drawn up by Mr. Colebroke, 

 from specimens forwarded by Captain Gerard, who also traversed that 

 route. The chief difference is in my assignment of gneiss as the rock 

 formation, giving to all the others, with the exception perhaps of the clay 

 slate near Moorung, the subordinate character of beds or veins. 33 I may 

 here add two other observations from that paper, which are not to be 

 found in my notes, but are of importance. The dip is noticed at Pooaree 

 as being E., and the angle of inclination 25° to 30°. The other is a 

 notice of the rock found on the Shatool Pass, about five miles west 

 of the Borunda Pass, and elevated 15,000 feet, which is stated to be 

 gneiss. 



94. We may now move eastward, and we shall find at the source of the 

 Tonse (12,800 feet) gneiss again, of a dark grey colour, fine grain, and 

 conchoidal fracture. This gneiss contains so large a proportion of 



33 It will be readily understood, that a series of specimens collected by a person 

 not conversant with geological enquiry, whose attention too was strongly occupied 

 by another subject, may well fail to exhibit the relative extent of each rock; such 

 a collection can give us no assistance in discriminating insulated beds from alter- 

 nating formations, or either of these from veins. 



