192 Mr. Verchere on the Geology of Kashmir, [No. 3, 



similar to the iron-ore of Kothair ; and when it is remembered how 

 essentially volcanic the Carboniferous period has been, it is no great 

 stretch of imagination to assume, that much of the iron contained in 

 the rocks of that period was derived from hot chalybeate springs, rather 

 than from decomposed minerals on the surface of the earth. 



Here ends the description of the Kothair bed. No rocks superior 

 to it (excepting lacustrine and alluvial deposits) were seen in Kashmir, 

 and the Kothair bed appears the most superficial stratum existing 

 there. In other localities, both in the Himalaya and in the Punjab, 

 Secondary and Tertiary rocks cover in the Palaeozoic beds, but neither 

 Oolitic, Nummulitic nor Miocene are to be seen in Kashmir proper, 

 that is, between the Pir Punjal and the Ser and Mer chains, and 

 between the northern branch of the Kaj Nag and the chain connecting 

 the Ser and Mer chain to the Kistwar mountains. 



52. As far as I could learn, the whole of the hills, which fill up 

 with their spurs the south-eastern end of the valley, are composed 

 of carboniferous limestone ; this appears to go as far as the foot of 

 the range which separates Kashmir from Maroo and Kistwar, where 

 the limestone rests on volcanic rocks. Producti have been found 

 among eboulis close to the volcanic rock high up the slopes, and it is 

 therefore probable that the Zeeawan bed reappears under the Weean 

 and Kothair beds, as we near the volcanic rocks. The river Bringh, 

 which drains all the S. E. and a good deal of the east of the valley, 

 carries in its bed boulders of volcanic rocks and of carboniferous lime- 

 stone. No granite was seen. 



As I have not visited these hills and possess only little information 

 on their geology, I will not enter here into any detail of what may 

 be inferred from reports received by travellers who are not geologists, 

 and I must refer the reader to the map for the probable position of 

 the several rocks which compose these hills. 



53. To the N. W. of Srinuggur there is one more mountain 

 belonging to the same catenated chain of summits which we have 

 described in this chapter ; it is the Safapoor, with its outlier, the 

 Aha Tung, and the beautiful little lake of Manus Bal at its foot. 

 This locality is interesting, and I will describe it in detail. (See 

 Sections E and F ; Section IV. of General Map). The Safapoor 

 and the Aha Tung are both composed of volcanic rocks exactly 

 similar to those which we have seen at the Tukt-i-Suliman and the 



