1844.] Capt. Herbert's Tour from Almorah. fyc. 757 



existence of nuclei in this rock similar to what are found in granite. 

 Another resemblance it bears is in the amorphous masses it is so often 

 seen in. And if it be distinctly stratified much oftener than other- 

 wise, this is more than is true of granite, or rather gniess, between 

 which and granite there is the same difference, and no more, as between 

 the stratified and unstratified sandstone. Is not every rock found 

 occasionally unstratified? clay slate certainly ; witness greywacke, mica 

 slate; witness quartz rock, limestone assuredly, hornblende slate, talc 

 slate in potstone and greenstone slate in greenstone. If so, then what 

 means the turmoil made about granite, and why is the same rock 

 in this instance to have two names, and so much stress laid on a 

 difference of feature equally applicable to every rock ?* 4 p. m. 28.95-, 

 68.5, 65, 56. 



1st Jan. 1828. — A most dense fog, cleared up at 10. Motee Laul 

 to Khata on the Ramgunga. Course South-east, down narrow 

 valley watered by the Sona nuddee which we crossed several times 

 (9). The sands are washed for gold,t whence its name. Mercury is 

 used to take up the gold, but is again lost in the fire, as they have no 

 apparatus of collecting the vapour of it. Four men working all day 

 will earn two annas. A miserable pittance, if true. Ascend a little 

 and pass through a forest of saul trees, not very thick. Descend to the 

 Khadm of the Ramgunga. Large round stones in the bed of the 

 river, cross, rather wide and half thigh-deep, encamp on east bank, 

 rather a pretty place, fine plain, but of no great extent, enclosed by 

 low hills covered with jungle. Khuta village J koss, distance about 

 8 miles. 



Sandstone the only rock. To-day observed the yellow clay alternat- 

 ing with sandstone, and distinctly stratified, though in very thick 

 strata. In another place observed a stratum of round stones overlying 

 distinct stata of the sandstone, and over that, a stratum of the common 



* 1 hope I shall not be considered presumptuous in offering this. Granite per se 

 and gneiss per se, only differ in regard to stratification ; but granite in contact with 

 schistose rocks, and appearing to be erupted, and altering the strata into which it 

 enters, causes the turmoil to which Capt. Herbert refers. The Himalyan (snowy) 

 range presents examples of gneiss in enormous beds, and of apparently cotemporaneous 

 granite; but it also presents numerous instances of obtruded granite, at least as far as 

 appearances go. — J. H. B. 



t The gold washing in Patlee Doon is farmed for Government at 25 Rs. per yearf 



