1854.] Notes on the Geology of the Punjab Salt Range. 669 



The nodules are generally of a cherty character and of a pinkish 

 or white colour, but towards the west they acquire a dark grey 

 colour or even black, and were formerly largely used for the Seikh 

 muskets, though tougher than good English flints and more splintery 

 besides. The whole limestone is extremely fossiliferous ; abounding 

 in nummulites, and many species of bivalves and univalves of a very 

 modern character : shark's teeth and echinoderms are also not un- 

 common ; but no corals are seen, neither are any fossils common to 

 the upper and lower limestones, though in places separated by only 

 a few intervening beds. In this limestone sulphur occurs and 

 petroleum, at a few places at the west end of the range. The most 

 considerable flow of petroleum takes place at Jabbi, nine miles 

 south-east of Kala Bagh. The following sketch explains its mode 

 of occurrence. 



Near Petroleum 



Jabbi. springs. 



Marls. Sandstone. Limestone. 



The oil ascends with some water and accumulates in pools till 

 collected by the natives. It is very fluid and of a deep rich red 

 brown, quite devoid of that peculiar green tint of the Kaugoon oil. 

 It is chiefly used as an application to mangy camels. The sulphur 

 is found in small lumps and crystals in the limestone not far off. 

 The rock containing it does not effervesce, and resembles gypsum. 

 The pink varieties of the limestone would make handsome marbles ; 

 but the natives are unable to dress so hard a stone with the chisel, 

 or rather are ignorant of the process : they cut it, however, with 

 emery and sand into a variety of small articles. A very handsome 

 but soft mottled marble occurs near Sardi ; it is of a purplish colour, 

 finely imitative of woody fibre, and is rather I think a bed above 

 the limestone, and one of the tertiary series. Near the petroleum 



