222 Report on the Geology, Zoology, fyc. [No. 135. 



N. N. W. direction. The strata met with consists of sandstone and 

 red marl, highly inclined, dipping to the S. S. W. under an angle 

 of 60.° ; succeeding to these, we find the boulder sandstone, also highly 

 inclined, dipping S. E. by E. and presenting the same kind of structure 

 as already noticed. In it thin seams of coal occur, similar to that 

 met at Kalabagh. The road leading along the bed of the nullah 

 becomes so very contracted, as to allow nothing more than a single 

 laden camel to proceed at a time, the banks on either side rising to 

 a height of several hundred feet, and nothing being seen but the blue 

 vault of heaven. The first halting place is Cutchee, distant six coss. Here 

 there is a small village and a spring of fresh water, which is rarely met 

 with in this district. We encamped in a field, being one of the few seen, 

 the country being bare and barren in the extreme. The rocks around are 

 the red marl and sandstone, inclining S. S. W. under an angle of 60°. 

 On leaving the bed of the nullah, we ascended a small sandstone hill, over 

 which the road runs, and from whence begins the range that separates 

 the Cohat from the Peshawur valley. Teera or Khybur range is seen* 

 bearing N. N. W. And we have also a fine view of the snow-clad moun- 

 tains beyond Caubul. From it we descended into the Chuppi nullah, 

 which is the boundary mark between the Kalabagh and Shuckardurrah 

 estates. A short distance onwards is Chushmah, so named from a spring 

 of fresh water occurring. 



Chushmah. — Here we halted, owing to the rugged nature of the 

 country over which we had come ; though the distance was only seven 

 coss, we did not reach the encamping ground till the afternoon, having 

 started at ten a. m. From Chushmah, the country gradually becomes 

 more cultivated; at first we only see here and there a cultivated 

 field on the side of the mountain, and all around a barren waste, these 

 by degree increased in number, till we meet with open and exten- 

 sively cultivated valleys; and so with the road, it at first being 

 through small and contracted nullahs, these opening and leading 

 through plains, separating which, there are several rugged passes, diffi- 

 cult for camels. Close to Shuckardurrah, there is a high hill 

 named Oukini,* in the country of Russool Khan, from whence salt is 

 obtained, and yields to him a considerable revenue. On the banks of a 



* Oukini Salt Mine. 



