1 Report of the Mineralogical Survey [No. 126*. 



merely a more or less impure specimen of the latter. The degree of 

 impurity may be estimated from the specific gravity. 



98. Between Bhet and Mykunda, also, occurs a bed of micaceous 

 schist under much the same circumstances as at Nalaputtun, that is 

 to say, containing felspar in small quantity ; the contact with the well- 

 defined gneiss not being visible, so as to allow it to be ascertained 

 whether it be a bed or a mere modification of the more general rock. 

 Beds of hornblende rock are very common, but always of limited extent; 

 as before observed, they seldom consist of the pure mineral, almost 

 always of a mixture of that and felspar. Occasionally this rock, by 

 the decomposition of the hornblende and oxidation of the iron it con- 

 tains, acquires a rusty colour, and an earthy composition. In this case it 

 is soft, and partially disintegrated. And a mass of a similarly disin- 

 tegrated rock, but of a yellowish grey colour, is found in its vicinity. It 

 is probably a decomposing gneiss. A rock something similar occurs 

 again in the ascent to Gunness Ghata from Jilmilputtun. The composi- 

 tion is arenaceous, consisting of quartzose particles in a white earthy basis. 

 This is also probably a gneiss, though from the absence of every thing 

 like the stratified structure, I am more inclined to consider it a granite. 

 But the name is of little moment ; whether gneiss or granite, it is of 

 limited extent, and being such as I have described, is surrounded on 

 every side by gneiss. It does not contain mica. 



99. No granite veins, unless the preceding can be considered one, 

 were any where to be observed. But fragments of great variety, size 

 and beauty may be seen in the small valley at the head of the river near 

 which the temple of Kedurnauth stands ; all these consist in great pro- 

 portion of felspar, containing very little quartz, and much less mica; 

 some want the mica altogether, some the quartz. The felspar is 

 always white or grey, in the former case perfectly opaque, in the 

 latter translucent. The quartz is generally grey, the mica sometimes 

 a deep black. Those compounds which consist of the translucent 

 variety of felspar and black mica without any quartz, are extremely 

 beautiful, and could this rock be obtained in any quantity, it would 

 pay for its transport. But the small quantity in which each type 

 oc$irs, is equally remarkable with the great variety of them, and their 

 total dissimilarity to the granites found in more southern localities. 

 They are all angular, appear to be of recent fracture, and with those 



