1842.] of the Himmalay a Mountains. lxvii 



of junction being strongly marked; the quartz rock was perfectly- 

 amorphous, not a trace of schistose structure was to be observed, the 

 laminae of the schist were considerably bent or undulated, it contained 

 fragments of the quartz rock, some of which were coloured green, some 

 retained their white colour ; no fragments of the schist however could 

 be detected in the quartz rock ; this mass which appeared detached 

 was surrounded by several smaller blocks, some of which were found 

 to be quartz rock, some chloritic schist. 



139. The route passes round the head of a second valley, which falls 

 into that of the Kumoulada, and crossing the lateral separating ridge 

 descends into the valley of the Bunal, another glen containing a good 

 deal of level ground, though not equal to Ramasera or the Gurogar glen. 

 In the descent above the village of Kande, gneiss was once more 

 found, but down the valley, the mountains, at least their summits, ap- 

 peared to consist of limestone ; this gneiss was talcose, approaching to 

 earthy, and it is again found below this village in the neighbourhood of 

 limestone beds, and containing a bluish semi-transparent mineral in 

 grains similar to that described (Art. 126.) Here the gneiss formation 

 is finally taken leave of, being succeeded by talco-argillaceous schist. 



140. We must now proceed to the valley of the Kalee, and trace 

 the southern boundary there also. The former account stopped at 

 Ookemuth on the Kalee. In a glen a mile south of it, is seen a 

 schist full of those flat veins or circular masses of quartz which are 

 so common in micaceous and argillaceous schist; this rock dips 45° NE., 

 and has an inclination of about 30° to 40°. Between the villages Jukh 

 and Oakee again, gneiss is met with; below in the bed of the river 

 is a mass of calcareous tufa with vegetable impressions. It is of a 

 light buff yellow colour, is rather porous with a semi-crystalline grain. 

 It is a very pure carbonate of lime, and affords an excellent cement by 

 burning, which was used for the stone temples erected one at Kedarnath, 

 at the foot of the great Soomeeroo Peak,* the other at Ookee Muth 

 where the Raool, or chief priest, resides. 



* This temple is situated at the source of the Mundaknee, a branch of the Dhaolee, 

 in one of those expanded vallies described in Art. 95. The elevation of the place is — 

 and it is unnecessary to say that during many months it is deep in snow, and con- 

 sequently not habitable. There is even no village within 15 miles of the place; it it 

 rather larger than the generality of these structures, and is handsomely built of hewn 

 stone. 



