OBSERVATIONS ON THE 



Stango, Behhar, and between different points of the Satlej, on the table- 

 land, are all beyond eight thousand feet, and one from Sungnam in 

 Kimdwer, into SpHt, cuts the mountains at an elevation of eighteen thou- 

 sand seven hundred feet, while the communication with Rupshu, from 

 the valley, is still higher, shewing the barometer at 15.120 on the 30th of 

 September at noon. This magnificent boundary is of secondary forma- 

 tion—if by this is understood rocks of stratified limestone, intermixed and 

 alternating with argillaceous slate, masses of hard sandstone and a coaly 

 looking substance. None of the primitive rocks are met with in the 

 tipper course of the Spiii, but near SMalkar they are conterminous with 

 transition formations, where the stream of Pardli, from the broken land 

 on the north, defines their limits in that direction. 



The geological structure of the SpUi district commands a high degree 

 of interest from its numerous fossil remains, and the singular elevation 

 and magnitude of the scenes which represent them, the mountains in 

 many places appearing to be formed entirely of shells, and their exuvias. 

 Specimens of these fossils have been sent by me to Calcutta, where no doubt 

 they will have been duly appreciated and elucidated by those who are more 

 conversant than myself with the subject of fossil conchology. Some of the 

 fragments were broken from masses of rock lying at the foot of a cliff from 

 which they appeared to be detached, at a height of 15,000 feet. The cliff 

 rose like a wall abruptly from the river, but its eastern side sloped off from 

 a crest of 16,500 feet high, where some ammonites were found. Illness, 

 and the languor produced by such an attenuated atmosphere, prevented 

 my taking every advantage of my visit to this interesting region, and my 

 journey was terminated by the limits of the British territory. Just before 

 crossing the boundary of Laddk into JBasdJnr, I was gratified by the dis- 

 covery of a bed of marine fossil shells resembling oysters, and clinging to 

 the rock in a similar manner, but the suspicions of the Chinese prevented 

 my bringing away many specimens. The loftiest position at which I 



