1869.] Geological Notes on the Khasi Hills. 5 



stratified formation, indurated, altered, and much disturbed by the trap. 

 I think their extension east, and their counterpart is to be found in the 

 quartzite sandstones of Mofflang and Shillong, associated with gneiss, 

 and to all appearance merging into this rock, which is in all respects 

 similar to that seen towards Nunklow, Kollong, &c. 



Having endeavoured to give the reader an insight into the class of 

 rocks and general characters of the country to the edge of the great 

 granitoid centre of the Khasi Hills, I will, in proceeding to the 

 portion in which my map (see pi. IX.) and sections were made, sketch 

 the general topographical features adjacent to the route. 



On this side of the Khasi Hills, the highest and most conspicuous 

 feature is the Maotherichan ridge, the highest point of which, the 

 trigonometrical station, is 6,297 feet above the sea. It is in fact the 

 backbone of the range, throwing off its streams into the Brahmaputra 

 on the north, and the vast jheels of Mymensing on the south. From the 

 extreme northern point in section A (pi. III.), proceeding towards this 

 central mass, the country is open and bleak, covered with grass, only 

 some of the northern faces of the hill being sided and sheltered ravines, 

 with a shrubby jungle. The Khasi Pine must have been once abund- 

 ant, but has been so indiscriminately felled, that its southern limit is 

 much contracted ; it is fast disappearing along this line, and 

 ; calls for Government interference and protection. The jungles are 

 ; of sufficient extent near Nowgspoong, to supply the large quantity 

 j of charcoal, used by the iron smelters there. The whole process of 

 i extraction of the ore, found in the state of small grains of titanifer- 

 i ous iron, is fully described in Oldham's geology of the Khasi Hills ; 

 I it gives employment to a large number of the inhabitants. The rivers 

 Urn Laokla and Urn Nongspoong. are large broad streams, and shew 

 that they are heavily swollen during the rainy months. Before reach- 

 ing the southern foot of the Maotherichan ridge, a much larger 

 river, the Urn Kainchi is crossed, flowing through a broad flat valley, 

 generally well cultivated with rice. These broad flat valleys are a 

 very characteristic feature of the drainage lines in this portion of 

 • the hills, and some especially that of Mokasa, give the idea of a 

 ; former lake system, before the sluggish rivers that How through 

 them, cut the present deeper channels. Under the ridge of Mao- 

 therichan, in the last named valley, the very regular strike and high 



