Notes on Geology and Mineralogy of Afghanistan. 595 



deceiving me, and as he could not possibly have seen any 

 other volcanic mountain from which to draw his description, 

 his information may yet be entitled to some degree of credit ; 

 and taking this account in conjunction with the actual 

 volcanic nature of the country generally, and the frequent 

 occurrence of earthquakes in Affghanistan, I feel disposed 

 to believe that such a volcano does actually exist, more 

 especially as the story was repeated to me on several occa- 

 sions without change or discrepancy, even after close cross- 

 questioning by myself and natives who were present. 



It would appear, that the volcanic rocks extend even to the 

 neighbourhood of Cabul, for I received from the late Major 

 E. Sanders of the Engineers, specimens of Actynolite picked 

 up by him near Ghuznee, and from another friend I likewise 

 received a specimen of common massive Iron pyrites pre- 

 cisely similar to that which occurs so abundantly in the 

 trap-rocks around Candahar.* From Zemindawur again, 

 I received mica-slate, granite, and greenstone, the last of 

 which I was informed was abundant there ; while from the 

 Huzzarah hills I obtained through the kindness of Major 

 Lynch of the Bombay Army, fine specimens of granite, 

 basalt, hornblende in quartz, lapis lazuli, lamellar magnetic 

 iron ore, and red oxide of iron, together with the sulphuret, 

 green carbonate, and red oxide of copper. 



The following is an imperfect list of the useful minerals 



occasionlly procurable in Candahar, and which are partly 



the produce of the country, and partly imported from other 



states. 



Iron Ores. 



1. Common wrought iron ore. Is brought from Ubbergoon, 



and sold by the traders at Pirmool near Ghuznee ; it is 



worked and smelted at Ubbergoon, three days' journey to 



* As an instance of the false impression an unskilful observer may convey 

 of the mineral riches of a country, I may state that both the above specimens 

 were given to me as " copper ores ;" while from a third party I once received a 

 collection labelled as " copper," the whole of which proved to he greenstone. 



4 H 



