1866.] tlw Western Himalaya and Afghan Mountains. 97 



very high angle ; but the rock is much decomposed, the vegetation 

 rich, and little is seen until we reach Nausherra. Thence, the beds 

 are well exposed, forming lofty cliffs over the path, of a grand and 

 picturesque aspect ; they are often quite vertical and seldom form an 

 angle with the horizon of less than 85°. But the same force which 

 has made those strata stand on end, has also broken them and 

 wheeled round enormous sections of the beds. Even a superficial 

 examination shows that portions of the hills, some thousands of 

 yards long, caught as it were between two faults and thus set free 

 in their movements, have been made to rotate on themselves, the 

 strike changing its direction from a few to ninety degrees. Thus, 

 nearBuniar, the strike is N. — S. ; a little further south it is W. — E. ; 

 four miles before we get to Ori it is W. 15° N. — E. 15° S. and the dip 

 is southern and only 45°. At Ori the strike is again about N. W. — 

 S. E. and the dip northern and 80°. But it is often difficult to see the 

 stratification in these laminated rocks, as cleavages and' joints are 

 generally better marked than the stratification. The general strike, 

 however, is from N. a few degrees W., to S. a few degrees E., and the 

 dip is northern. 



Between Nausherra and Ori, the felstone presents several ap- 

 pearances. The bulk of the hills is made up of a pale grey and 

 extremely laminated felstone, having much the appearance of slate, 

 and being crossed by numerous veins of opaque quartz. These 

 veins are sometimes so thick that they form bands of quartzite. 

 Near Ori, some beds are seen having the appearance of metamorphic 

 ehloritic slates. Others are made up of very thin-bedded felstone of an 

 earthy appearance, and are wonderfully wavy and crimpled, whilst the 

 beds above and below them are but gently undulated. It appears 

 probable that these thin-bedded layers were deposited by water 

 during periods of volcanic inaction, and that when the covering 

 felstone contracted in cooling, the aqueous deposit was gathered in 

 zigzag folds. They ought, therefore, to be considered either as an ash 

 arranged by water, or as a laterite derived from the surface of decom- 

 posing felstone, and having the same composition as its parent rock. 



6. About half way between Buniar and Ori, is a small Buddhist 

 ruin concealed by brambles and wild roses, and built of a dark grey 

 rough trachy-dolerite. This rock was obtained from a thick band 



