530 Memoranda on the Geology of Silckim. 



Further^ a small piece of alluvial land on the banks of the 

 small Rungeet, elevated some feet above the present level 

 of the highest floods as met by me under Goke spur^ and 

 a similar appearance on the Rumam at the Boodam valley to 

 the vt^est of Chakoong and Nissjee or Goke, give indications 

 as if these rivers had at one time been partially obstructed in 

 their courses, and had remained stagnant for a considerable 

 period, from some unknown cause, in former times; and 

 Capt. B. who went down the valley and bed of the Rumam 

 on one occasion from Chakoong, found traces of a broken 

 barrier on it, and met with very rugged ground in the course 

 of the river; still there is little appearance of extensive or 

 general change having occurred in the course of the rivers of 

 these hills, so far as we examined them, for many ages. 



Yet though there be no striking indications of convulsions, 

 or even of gradual and great change in the river beds or val- 

 leys of the country, there are appearances occasionally met 

 with, which shew the condition of these regions not to have 

 always been what it is in the present day. Thus there is in 

 the neighbourhood of Subbokgola, down towards the Teesta, a 

 high broken bank of a hundred feet and more in elevation, the 

 upper portion of which, or as much as is exposed, is made up 

 of boulders of from two to three feet in diameter. A like 

 phenomenon is seen on the banks of the Selim Nuddee, a 

 mile or two above its junction with the Munna, and a simi- 

 lar bank is also found on the Munna about a couple of miles 

 above its junction with the Selim, and of great height ; 

 nor is it easy to account for the arrangement of materials, 

 nothing that is now taking place in those quarters having 

 any tendency to occasion such results. 



Again, the large rounded boulders found high up the 

 mountain torrents, and which the present streams at their 

 highest never have moved, far less rolled ; shew us, that 

 a force far greater than is now exhibited, or at least a 

 power of a different kind or differently directed, brought 



