54 



SKETCH OF THE 



My observations on this belt are confined to its most northern por- 

 tion, and they may serve as a supplement to Captain Dangerfield's 

 account, to which I beg leave to refer for further particulars. 



But it is now time that we should return to the consideration of the 

 primitive strata, and I shall premise my remarks on this head by a 

 general description of the external features of the country. The southern 

 portion, then, of the tract under consideration, is mountainous, and 

 consists of numerous groups and collateral ranges of hills, studded 

 closely together, and separated from each other by narrow ravines and 

 deep valleys. These hills do not rise to any great height, seldom to 

 more than five hundred feet above the level of the plains ; — they run 

 generally in a northerly and southerly direction, and instances occur 

 vv^here individual hills attain the height of twelve hundred feet. In 

 many situations, too, the country presents a mammillary aspect — an 

 aspect frequently observed to characterise the lower granite tracts in 

 other parts of the world. In this southern portion are included the 

 northern parts of Guzerat — the district of Hayar — portions of Rath, 



excluded, and to two separate portions of this, the sulphuric and nitric acids, were severally added, 

 no precipitate or cloudiness was observed even on the addition of a large proportion of alcohol to 

 the portion containing sulphuric acid. From this it would appear that no hydrosulphuret of lime is 

 present, which is usually the case in hepatic waters. A sediment, in minute quantity, of a light 

 color, and which effervesced with acids, remained after the boiling. This was carbonate of lime. The 

 water boiled and freed from its gases, gave a white precipitate, on the addition of sulphate of silver. 

 From the above it follows, that sulphurated hydrogen, carbonate of lime, and muriatic salts, were 

 present. This water emits the peculiar odour of sulphurated hydrogen, though faintly so when it 

 is perfectly fresh, and the ingredients present appear to exist in minute proportions ; the exact propor- 

 tion I had not the means of ascertaining, as the bottle containing the water was, accidentally, broken 

 after the above experiments were concluded. The muriatic salt indicated by the test, is probably 

 muriate of soda. At least a verj^ small quantity of the water which remained in the broken bottle 

 gave, on evaporation, a minute portion of a white substance, having the taste of common sea salt. 

 The quantity was too small to be examined. 



