1853.] Report on the Geological Structure of the Salt Range. 233 



for about four miles on the west bank of the Indus, beyond which it 

 gradually expands into the mass of hills, that stretch north between 

 Bunnoo and Kohat, and are known as the Chountuah Hills. The 

 south-western portion of these along the west bank of the Indus, are 

 elevated into a high ridge, presenting a steep escarpment to the east, 

 evidently continuous with that of the Salt Range, and joining it 

 near the village of Kooch four miles N". W. of Kalibag at nearly 

 a right angle. This ridge known as the Chichalee Range runs in a 

 direction S. S. W. towards the Koorum river, beyond which it may 

 be said to be continuous with that of Kaffin Kote, forming the right 

 bank of the Indus for several miles below the village of Bahadur 

 Dok, and which is apparently a branch from the great Suliman 

 Range, which runs parallel with the Indus in the Derajat and Scinde, 

 and forms the natural western boundary of our Indian Empire. 



In order to convey, if possible, an idea of the general features of 

 the Salt Range, we shall follow its three natural divisions, into a 

 southern or salt, a central or cultivated limestone, and a northern 

 or sandstone district, beginning from Jelalpur where the Salt Range 

 proper may for practical purposes be considered to commence. 



Along its southern limits, the Range presents a most jagged 

 angular outline, produced by a succession of points running towards 

 the plain and separated by deep intervening strata. These points 

 are covered and in many places formed of masses of rock and debris, 

 which during the upheaval of the Salt Range, and subsequently 

 from atmospheric and disturbing agencies, have been detached from 

 a high escarpment with the strata of which they have undoubtedly 

 been at one time continuous. 



This escarpment extending from Jelalpur to the Indus is most 

 prominently marked in the eastern part of the Range. Its con- 

 tinuity is frequently broken by deep transverse gorges, running 

 parallel to the general line of dip of the rocks, through which the 

 greater number of the streams which drain the Salt Range escape 

 into the plains. None of these, except during heavy falls of rain, 

 reach either the Jhelum or the Indus, but are absorbed by the 

 thirsty sun-baked alluvial soil which instead of fertilizing, they con- 

 vert into a comparative desert by the deposition of saline matter 

 which they acquire in their course as they flow over the salt rocks 

 which are chiefly confined to the southern district of the Range. 



