DESCRIPTION OF SECTIONS. 235 



desert consists very largely of the loose gravels called " daslit/' or 

 else in the low-lying parts we find those accumulations of dried up 

 silt called u pat" (see ante, page 12). Sometimes the (t pat" is 

 covered with a saline efflorescence in which case it takes the name 

 of (( narpat." A few depressions are occupied by the permanent 

 ponds called " nawar" (see page 13). 



Only in very rare instances do inliers of the older rocks rise out 

 of these recent deposits ; when they do occur, as at Mall and at 

 Padag, they are not far distant from the main outcrop. This almost 

 complete absence of exposures away from the mountain ranges 

 appears to be a general feature of many Iranian and Central-Asian 

 districts. It has been commented upon by Mr. Blanford as a proof 

 of the enormous thickness attained by the recent formations. 1 



Range extending north of the Nushki-Dalbandin depression. 



In describing the geology of the neighbourhood of Nushki, it 

 was mentioned (page 43) that the southern 

 Nushki to "the Lor™ continuation of the Siwalik hills separates into 

 two branches. The western branch marks the 

 commencement of along line of similar strata forming the southern 

 border of the low range that runs between the Nushki-Dalbandin 

 depression to the south, and the bed of the Lora to the north. As 

 the greatest part of this range has remained unexamined, it is not 

 possible to tell for certain the nature of the belt of strata north of 

 the Siwaliks. This eastern portion of the range (east of the Lora 

 Hamun) was crossed only once, and then very rapidly in the neigh- 

 bourhood of " M6kh-i-Rustam," on the day that I visited the curious 

 conical hill bearing that name. At that spot the Siwaliks form 

 numerous parallel ranges very similar in appearance and in composi- 

 tion to those of the Pishin plain. They invariably dip N. by W., 

 as if underlying the older strata north of them, which also dip in 

 the same direction, making it clear that they must be separated 

 from them by a fault or more exactly a thrust-plane, These older 



1 Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, Vol. XXIX (1873), p. 498. 



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