1866.] the Western Himalaya and Afghan Mountains. 93 



Chapter I. — Felstone and Porphyry. 

 The mountains South-West, South and West of Cashmir. 



Baramoola is a small city, well known to the tourist in Cashmir 

 and to the pedestrian coming from Murree ; it is a haven of rest, for 

 here boats may be hired to take him to Srinagar, the very heart of 

 the valley. From the heights above the town the traveller gets his 

 first view of the celebrated vale, and in the spring of the year it is 

 difficult to imagine any more beautiful landscape than it affords. It 

 is here also that disappointment or enthusiasm commences, according 

 to the traveller's disposition : for to many Cashmir is an overrated 

 land, whilst to the scientific man, to the artist or the antiquarian it is 

 a mine of great wealth. 



The town is built at the foot of a hill which has a direction west 

 to east, and is cut in two to give a passage to the river Jheelum. It 

 is approximatively in N. Latitude 31° 13' and E. Longitude 74° 23'. 

 Its southern view is limited by a small hill, the Atala, and on 

 the west a mountain of 8,467 feet, the Shumalarum, also confines 

 the horizon. Thus, placed in a cradle of hills, on the banks of the 

 Vedusta, it has a picturesque aspect, a damp cold climate, a celebrity 

 for rain and storms, and a great name for earthquakes. 



The hills at the foot of which Baramoola is built are the extreme 

 eastern extension of the great Kaj Nag Range, which, proceeding 

 from E. to W. for 20 miles, bifurcates into a huge north-westerly 

 branch (which I shall leave alone for the present, as I know nothing 

 about it), and a southern branch which, proceeding S. S. W., divides 

 again, one arm going west towards Mozofferabad, whilst the other, 

 the Kircn or Kirna range, crosses the river at Ori (or rather the river 

 crosses it) to be continued with the Kandi range in the direction of 

 the Pir Punjal chain. 



2. The whole range of hills near Baramoola dips S. by a few 

 degrees E., and in describing the rocks from S. E. to N. W., we shall 

 therefore proceed from the more superficial to the deepest. 



On the left bank of the river, we find a clinkstone or felstone of a 

 dark grey colour and slaty texture, and an appearance as if it had been 

 drawn while in a viscid state. It has a sandy feel to the hand ; it 

 breaks into long narrow flags having a close resemblance to pieces of 



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