526 Account of the Koh-i- Daman , [June, 



march granite once or twice made its appearance, shooting up abruptly 

 through the slate. It was of a large open grain approaching nearly 

 the species termed graphic. Wherever the valleys opened advantage 

 had been taken of it for the purposes of cultivation, and we passed 

 several little green spots, containing mulberries, walnuts, fields of 

 barley, and a dwarf cotton, which, though in pod, did not exceed six or 

 eight inches in height. Next day the formation was extremely simple 

 and well defined. At first we had a mica slate in strata running nearly 

 east and west, and dipping at an angle of 75° a little to the west of 

 north. To this succeeded gneiss in irregular blocks, with contorted 

 laminae gradually changing into regular strata, the dip of which (in the 

 same direction as that of the mica slate), increased until they became 

 perfectly vertical, and then came up the granite, forming the last six 

 miles of the ascent, and shooting up above the pass in such precipitous 

 peaks that the snow which lay thick round their base could find no 

 resting place along the sides. 



The road had risen so gradually that it was not until within 12 or 

 15 miles of the summit that we found the ascent becoming so rapid as 

 to cause the stream which occupied the bottom of the valley to cascade, 

 nor did we ourselves experience any considerable difficulty until we had 

 arrived within a mile of the pass. It then became very steep, and in 

 consequence of a partial thaw of the snow, very slippery and dangerous. 

 The horses fell and appeared much distressed. We were obliged to 

 dismount and proceed on foot, and in so doing we met the goods of a 

 Kafila which had reached the opposite side of the pass, but in conse- 

 quence of its slippery state had been unable to proceed. A fresh sup- 

 ply of beasts of burden had been collected on this (the south) side, and 

 were waiting below while the goods were being transported over the 

 summit on, men's shoulders. As this was on the 19th October it will 

 serve to give a fair idea of the early period at which this pass becomes 

 impracticable. We learned from the persons employed in collecting 

 toll that in ten days more at furthest it would be finally closed by the 

 snow, after which time no Kafila could venture. The reports of the na- 

 tives had informed us the persons ascending this pass were frequently 

 seized with giddiness, faintness, vomiting, and the other symptoms usu- 

 ally described as occurring at considerable elevations, and though we 

 ourselves experienced nothing of the kind, yet we see no reason to doubt 

 the general correctness of the story, as we estimated the total height 

 of the pass as little inferior to that of Mount Blanc. This is a point we 

 regret exceedingly we had not the means of determining in any precise 

 mode. A thermometer which we had brought with the intention of 

 ascertaining the boiling point of water on the summit was unfortunately 



