Notes on Geology and Mineralogy of Afghanistan. 571 



be travelled over from the coal, supposing it to exist, would 

 offer no impediment whatever to wheeled carriages ; so that 

 the transport of the mineral to Shikarpore and Sukkur 

 might be easily effected. At all events, if a regular Steam 

 navigation is to be established on the Indus, it would be 

 worth while to ascertain by actual examination whether coal 

 is procurable anywhere along the secondary ranges which 

 bound the western side of Scinde. I made an offer of my 

 services for this purpose, when stationed in Afghanistan 

 in 1840, but met with a refusal: but the subject being of 

 importance, should be followed up if practicable. 



In the tract lying between Ab-i-goom, and that part of the 

 defile called by the Army the Zigzags, deep beds of allu- 

 vium, composed of silt and rolled stones, imbedding boul- 

 ders of enormous size, occupy the wide area ; these are 

 sometimes of considerable height, and appear to have once 

 occupied the whole breadth of the Pass : they are however 

 now divided by the streams, which descend from the 

 heights. These beds are horizontally disposed, and overlie 

 the edges of the clays, and limestones of the secondary 

 strata. Opposite to the vertical strata of shales which con- 

 tain the coal, the coarse sandstone conglomerate, which was 

 met with at the entrance to the Pass, again occurs, towering 

 up to an immense height; it is here much indurated, and 

 conformable to the secondary strata on which it rests : this 

 is quite distinct from the loose alluvial beds which occupy 

 the bed of the Pass, and is more ancient. 



From the entrance to the * Zigzags,' so called from the 

 sudden and frequent tortuosity of the narrow defile, onwards 

 to the end of the Pass where it debouched upon the 

 wide plain of Dusht-i-be-dowlut, the rocks are a succession 

 of variously coloured clays and blue limestones, the latter 

 sometimes exhibiting traces of fossils. This limestone 

 continues beyond the Pass, and forms one side of the 

 Dusht-i-be-dowlut, affording imperfect specimens of Echini 



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