214 Report on the Geology, Zoology, 8$c. [No. 135. 



Mundi Salt Mines. — The similarity of the rocks met with at the 

 salt mines in the Mundi country, North of the Sutlej, with those of 

 Kalabagh, is too striking to pass unnoticed. The salt mines occur 

 in a large bason, the fundamental rock of which is compact lime- 

 stone (magnesian) of a blue or greyish colour, and abounding with 

 layers of brownish black and greyish white hornstone. It rests upon 

 a chloritic slate, which is only partially seen N. of the bason, where a 

 broad trap dyke (greenstone,) partly compact and partly amygdalloi- 

 dal cuts through them ; the amygdaloidal cavities are either filled, half 

 filled, or empty, with calcareous spar, quartz, epidote, &c. In many 

 places the limestone is brecciated, but contains no organic remains ; 

 in others, it occurs in thin seams regularly arranged, or mixed up 

 with each other in a confused manner, shewing, that some violent 

 action was in operation during the time of its deposition. The hills, 

 unlike those of Kalabagh, are covered with vegetation, rendering an 

 examination of the relative position of the different rocks to each 

 other intricate, particularly that of the trap to the Neptunian strata. 

 All the rocks are highly inclined, the angle varying from 35° to 70°, 

 and the dip W. and by N. 



The marl in which the rock salt occurs varies exceedingly in 

 colour, as at Kalabagh, being red, green, blue, white, &c. and forming 

 hills which rise up in the form of peaks and needles to a height of 

 three and four hundred feet. The needle-shaped formation is produced 

 by the action of the weather, and is strikingly seen here, the rock being 

 very soft and easily yielding to it ; it is quite devoid of structure, 

 and abounds with minute crystals of rock salt, which sparkle like 

 diamonds. 



Gypsum only occurs in small veins in the marl, and here and 

 there we meet with drusy cavities, filled with specular iron ore, or 

 small balls of iron pyrites, which when broken, present the radiated 

 structure. 



The mines of Darang, as those of Mundi are termed, are about 3,900 

 feet above the level of the sea. In 1839, these were worked, two 

 closed and one open to the light of day. The first that we visited had 

 been worked for three years, and was about two hundred feet in depth, 

 one hundred and fifty of which were through red marl. To descend 

 into it, there was a rude ladder, the steps of which were about 2| feet 



