5 
north-west of British India — the North-western Himalayas. Several portions of this 
country, being partly independent or protected States, have rarely, if ever, been visited by 
any European traveller, and such visits as have been made have usually been in 
great haste, for the resources of the country do not generally admit of any long stay in 
0ne pl ac e. As a result of these great difficulties we do not as yet know much of the 
natural wealth of this portion of the Himalayan ranges, although probably more of this 
than of the more eastern parts of this great system of mountains.” 
He then proceeds to give a brief abstract and* criticism of the observations on this region 
y Strachey, Mooreroft, Trebeck, Herbert, Gerrard, .J acq uemont, Thomson, Cunningham, 
utton, Hay, Theobald, and Medlicott. With reference to the sections between the 
P ams and the Sutlej which were examined and described* by the last-named, he writes : 
{{ ^ lese three sections give an insight into the relations of the rocks between the plains on 
the south and the Hatu mountain, near Narkanda, to the north-east of Simla. When 
{i ^ r ' Medlicott’s report was published, the contrast between the geological structure of the 
southern portion of the Himalaya and that of the northern portion, so far as then known, 
must have been noticed by every reader. It was, therefore, of the highest interest to 
ascertain, if possible, the connexion between these, chiefly metamorphic, rocks of the 
southern slopes and the fossiliferous rocks of Spiti, which, since the time of Gerrard’s 
first discoveries, have been several times examined. The stratigraphical relations of these 
fossiliferous rocks in Spiti had not, however, been successfully traced out, and even 
^ r - Theobald's and Mr. Mallet’s collections of 1861 gave no sufficient explanation, showing 
{ clea rly a mixture of fossils from different formations. Such being the case, it was almost 
unavoidable to repeat the attempt to trace out the stratagraphical positions of the Spiti 
‘ rocks.” 
In the beginning of June 1864 the party started from Simla, north-eastwards, through 
issahir to Spiti, crossing the Bhabeh pass. So far as time permitted, the Spiti problems 
submitted to examination. Thence a move forward over the Parang pass was made to 
upshu, and so onwards through the Para, Tsomoriri, and Puga valleys to the Indus. 
ei two days’ march along that river, another cross traverse was made through Itonggo, 
au e ’ an( I the Tagling pass to Spiti. The western and north-western parts of Spiti were then 
examined in some detail, and the return to Simla was made by a route traversing Lahoul and 
■fi-ulu. 
A small outline map attached to the memoir enables the reader to follow the geographical 
c lca tmns of position and some special geological details, but the materials for a geological 
^ a P in the full sense of the term were not obtained till many years afterwards, when 
, r * Tydekker prepared the map of the extensive region which includes the tracts visited 
by Stoliczka. 
rn 
^ many geologists, and especially to Stoliczka, the preparation of detailed maps and 
ie facing out of boundaries have proved tasks to be avoided, while following sections across 
1 e tracts of country have presented a far stronger attraction. These remarks are only 
®ade en passant, as the subject was one often referred to by Stoliczka in conversation, for on 
e Present occasion there was neither time nor intention to attempt to prepare a geological 
Ina P the ordinary sense of the term. 
Besides the regular official report of this journey which has just been noticed, a letter from 
tmla was published in the Proceedings of the Vienna Academy. 
* Mem. Geological Survey of India, Yol. Ill, Part 2. 
