1843.] Memoir on Indian Earthquakes. 267 



nection with the frequent occurrence of Earthquake shocks throughout 

 the tract. The facts embodied in Dr. Lord's remarks, must be 

 separated from the theoretical views with which they are associated, 

 the latter being open to serious objections ; but as there is reason to 

 believe they are now under discussion by a very competent authority, 

 it is unnecessary to allude farther to them here. 



" A parallel of latitude," Dr. Lord remarks, "drawn through Kalabagh 

 and west of the Indus would present a remarkable difference in the 

 course of the mountain chains as observed to its north and south sides. 

 In the latter direction, the Soliman and Kala ranges, the one of which 

 may be looked upon as a continuation of the other, generally preserve 

 an almost perfect parallelism with the course of the Indus ; while on 

 the other side every range, and they are numerous from the Himalaya 

 and Hindu Kosh to the Salt range inclusive, are at right angles with 

 the direction of the stream. In other words, the general line of the 

 former is North and South, of the latter East and West. It is of the 

 latter, and the country they include, that I would more particularly 

 speak at present. 



" In addition to the general course of the chains thus laid down, there 

 is another fact, subordinate, yet of no less importance towards deter- 

 mining the physical formation of this part of the country. When the 

 two mountain ranges have for some time preserved their parallel East 

 and West course, the Northern is observed to deflect, or send off a 

 branch towards the South, while a corresponding deflection or ramifica- 

 tion of the Southern chain comes to meet it, and the plain which other- 

 wise would have been one continued expanse from East to West, is 

 thus cut into a number of valleys, the longitudinal axis of which, 

 however, is still in general to be found in the same direction. If 

 we conceive these valleys to be few, spacious, and well marked to- 

 wards the North and South, while in the central or Cabul region they 

 become small, numerous and crowded, so as to resemble a tangled maze 

 or net-work, we shall have a just general conception of the tract of 

 country west of the Indus, which may be familiarly described as lying 

 between Cabul and Kalabagh. 



" Unquestionable geological facts, such as the structure of igneous 

 rocks poured out under strong pressure, the presence of fossil shells 



