Notes on Geology and Mineralogy of Affgharristan. 567 



being sufficiently hard to resist the action of rains, they are 

 consequently crumbled down, and their ruins spread over the 

 plains; the lower beds alternate with clays, and the whole 

 present a wasting appearance. The immediate vicinity of 

 these hills is scattered over with rounded pebbles of lime- 

 stones containing nummulites and a few other marine shells. 



Between this range and the main tract of mountainous 

 country is interposed a fertile plain on which stands the town 

 of Dadur. The cultivation is here well watered from the 

 hill streams, which are usually dammed up at no great distance 

 from their debouchere to prevent the waters from being 

 swallowed up and lost in the thirsty sands beyond, and also to 

 insure a sufficient supply to fill the canals and water cuts which 

 branch out among the cultivation. This system however, 

 while it insures water to a few villages in the vicinity of the 

 hills, effectually cuts off all supplies from the towns situated 

 lower down on the plains, and often reduces them to great 

 distress during the heats of summer. 



The entrance to the Bolan Pass on this side is wide and 

 stony, forming a broad defile, through which runs a clear and 

 plentiful supply of water; the Pass being in fact nothing 

 more from one end to the other, than the bed or channel of 

 the mountain streams which drain through it. The road, 

 if such it can be called, is a mere bed of water-rolled stones 

 the whole way ; while here and there are intermingled the 

 larger blocks, which the action of the elements on the 

 neighbouring and overhanging rocks has detached and 

 hurled down from their proper sites. The sides of the 

 defile rise up to a considerable height, and in many places 

 are exceedingly precipitous, standing like mighty walls on 

 either hand, and affording a narrow channel for the stream, 

 which winds along through its shingly bed with such a tor- 

 tuous course, that in some marches we crossed it no less 

 than sixteen times, to the great annoyance and delay of both 

 man and beast. The sides of this Pass at the lower or 



