424 



The Physical Condition of 



[Oct. 



of the mountains as far as the eye can reach, and proved to be the 

 remains of a former talus, from the fact of the summits of some of them 

 being composed of coarse pebbles and boulders. 



The acclivity of the Kossia mountains facing these knolls, may, 

 without any great inaccuracy be divided into three stages. The first 

 a rugged, but gentle slope to the height of about 1500 feet ; the se- 

 cond precipices, and the third a succession of summits. Extending 

 along the top of the first stage, and at the base of the second, I found 

 the well marked remains of a raised beach, characterised by a deposite 

 of marine shells, twenty-five species of which, I have identified with 

 an equal number of species comprised in a small collection of fossils 

 from the Paris Basin, presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal by 

 Mr. Christie. The smallness of Mr. Christie's collection, consisting 

 only of about 150 species, prevents me at present from establishing 

 perhaps, a much more extensive agreement between the tertiary re- 

 mains of these two remote localities. 



Descending at another point, ten miles to the westward of this 

 situation, I found at about the same altitude, a continuation of the 

 line of organic remains ; but the fossils were here grouped together 

 in distinct families, as is observed to be the case in the subappennine 

 deposites. I have procured sufficient materials from these beds to 

 enable me to establish their nature, as soon as I am provided with the 

 means of comparing them with the fossils of other tertiary groups 

 which have been examined in Europe. 



Without dwelling farther at present on the geology of the Kossia 

 mountains, I shall merely observe that their agricultural character 

 appears to improve much after crossing the valley of the Boga-pany. 

 Previous to that, the surface being composed of horizontal strata, is 

 barren, and without soil except in ravines ; but at Muflong, where the 

 rocks become inclined, a fine rich soil is abundantly retained on their 

 surface, while the ravines afford an iron sand, in more than sufficient 

 quantity for all the purposes for which the metal is required in the 

 neighbouring country ; but the ore is not found in sufficient quantity to 

 render it an object of that importance, which it otherwise would be, in 

 the vicinity of such extensive repositories of coal as here occur. 



Should it be thought desirable to give the tea plant a trial in the 

 Kossia mountains, I would recommend a situation at the western ex- 

 tremity of the valley of My rung, where the soil is derived from a 

 granular foliated felspar, very similar to the rock that affords some of 

 those tea soils, which have been collected in China. 



But for the circumstances of the raised beach, as well as of the dis- 



