344 Beport on the Geological Structure of the Salt Mange. [No. 4. 



lignite in a seam about two feet thick crops out. As this is only a 

 detached portion of the regular deposit* it is of no importance, 

 except as proving the extension of the coal seams along the range. 



Mukrach. We have seen coal under detached masses of nummu- 

 lite limestone in the hills above the salt-mine village, but the regu- 

 lar shale bed is covered in the escarpment where we examined it, by 

 a great quantity of debris. 



Noorpoor. Under the high cliffs of nummulite limestone below 

 Noorpoor, the shale beds are distinctly seen, much decomposed how- 

 ever, and containing two small seams of coal from eight inches to a 

 foot in thickness. A great amount of debris covers the shales and 

 renders it unsafe to make exploratory diggings. 



Kuttha. At the top of the Kurrumea Wou above Kuttha and 

 beneath a high precipice of limestone, dark arenaceous shales full of 

 pyrites occur, and enclose two or three seams of coal of good quality, 

 the thickest of which was not more than half a foot. It has a much 

 more mineralized and compact appearance, than the lignite from 

 most other localities. When we first observed the coal in this 

 locality, in March 1851, the seam could be traced for about thirty 

 yards, dipping to the north north-west at an angle of 25° under 

 the nummulite limestone. In January 1852, when we again visited 

 the spot, the out-crop of the coal was completely concealed by 

 enormous masses of the limestone, which had a few days previously 

 become detached from the cliffs above, during an earthquake. We 

 merely mention this as illustrative of the difficulties that would 

 attend any attempts to mine the coal, as it occurs generally in the 

 Range. 



Kathee in the Chichalee Pass. Between Kuttha and the Indus 

 we have seen no coal deserving of notice, though films of it may be 

 observed in the alum shales of the Bukkh ravine and in other loca- 

 lities. In the highly bituminous alum shales which supply the 

 Kathee alum works, layers of very compact bituminous coal occur, 

 but they seem to be continuous for but a short distance, either thin- 

 ning out in the shales or becoming interlaminated with these. From 

 the interior of one of the shale pits we obtained several specimens 

 of coal which appeared to form a sort of nest inclosed in the shales, 

 and was being quarried along with them for transmission to the 



