SKETCH OF THE 



stratified, and the strata appearing to cross the country obliquely, and 

 running nearly north-west and south-east. 



Banal is situated at the base of a group of hills, which, though they 

 appear smooth and conical in the distance, are found, on nearing them, to 

 be entirely destitute of vegetation, the rock of which they are composed 

 having a tendency to assume the form of large globular, or rather colum- 

 nar masses, which are piled on each other, — one of these masses fre- 

 quently occupying the very summit of the hills, and presenting a very 

 striking appearance. A small fort tops a low, conical, and precipitous 

 hill, or rather crag, — the fort appearing to rise from the rock, and to be 

 a continuation of it. 



c . The rock composing this group of hills does not appear to be strati- 

 fied. In its texture it inclines to small granular. It is composed of grey 

 felspar, quartz, and black shining hornblende, and has a structure similar 

 to that of gneiss, the hornblende being arranged in slightly interrupted 

 nearly parallel layers, alternating with layers of quartz and felspar inti- 

 mately mixed. Small garnets occur disseminated through this rock, and 

 in many situations it has a perfect gneissy structure. It may be classed 

 with the sienitic gneisses. 



Proceeding from this last place towards Nasirahad, we have alter- 

 nations of granitic rocks, with hornblende rocks and gneiss, all these pass- 

 ing into each other — hornblende being a common ingredient in all. Large 

 rounded heaps of these rocks are seen piled upon each other near the route, 

 and they do not occur stratified, but in large and broad prismatic beds, 

 running in the usual direction of the strata of this district. The route 

 from Bandi to Nasirahad is in a direction nearly parallel to, but a little 

 to the west of, the direction in which these beds run, and we frequently 

 meet with the same rock for the distance of one or two miles. 



