1831.] 
On the Sandstone of India. 
209 
The writer has forgotten, that the horizontal and uncomforraable stratification 
of the New Red Sandstone, which he brings forward as a general fact, (see p. 
146,) “ Since the formation of the New Red Sandstone, the strata have not been 
subjected to the action of those violent causes, &c.” is a circumstance peculiar 
to the English formation ; that on the continent of Europe, the “ New Red” is 
conformably stratified with the inferior strata ; and that the difference in England 
only shows, that the inferior strata were upheaved before the New Red was 
deposited. It is upon no farther reason than this, as I understand him, that he 
believes the strata which basset out in the northern portion of the district, to be of 
anterior date to the other ; and again, in the last paragraph, “ The older Sand ~ 
stones , which have been described in the Bhartptir district, have, in other situations, 
been observed to basset out through the Newer Sandstones.” It is to be regretted, 
that he has not explained this more clearly. As the fact is stated, I should rather 
believe it to be occasioned by a partial dislocation of the same strata, such as 
would be produced by a force upheaving from beneath, and which is common to 
ever) 7 formation. In what manner he can prove the two rocks to be of distinct 
formations I am at a loss to conjecture. 
We will now look a little further into Captain Franklin’s paper, as there the 
evidence with respect to these two points is equally inconclusive. 
The first range of hills at the Tara pass, finds the rock horizontally stratified ; 
and at the second or Kutsa pass, the same. From Kutsa he visits several cataracts 
in the course of about 40 miles ; of which Bilhohi is the first, and Cachei, on the 
fons river, the last; and his remarks on them are, “From their composition, 
it is evident that the whole range of hills in which they are situated, is a mass 
Snndstone ; they show also, that there is a valley in the subjacent strata in this 
part, by exhibiting distinctly the 'plane of inclination of the variegated stratum ; 
which being uppermost at Bilhohi, central at Bonti, lowest at Kewti, and disap- 
pearing below the surface at Cachai, plainly denotes a subsidence , the axis of which 
‘s perhaps , somewhere about the Tons river ; and this appeals to be the thickest 
P<*rt ot the formation.” He then comes upon the limestone, which he lias designat- 
ed as ‘ Lias; probably incorrectly. I say so for no further reason than that it 
18 not a shelly limestone; whereas the lias and the oolites are nearly made up of 
shells. A stranger to geology could hardly travel 5 miles on the lias, without 
ing struck with its numerous remains. Captain F. travelled full 100 miles upon 
lll ‘ s limestone, and found in the whole way but one shell, of a very uncertain 
nature, as I have been informed by those who have seen it. 
A little beyond Tendukaisa, Captain F. passes to the primitive rocks, and his 
Words are, “ After descending the hills, and advancing about three miles into the 
' allc y, a new field opens ; the lower rocks are laid bare, and exposed to view, 
nd Instead of horizontal stratification, they become highly inclined, sometimes 
1 rpendicular, and altogether unconformable to those I have just passed. 
Now the term “ unconformable” here, is not used in the sense in which the 
‘-Jisli geologists have used it, with respect to the “ New Red.” 
j New Red here, is said to “rest unconformably” upon the older rocks, 
1 Cause the horizontal planes of its strata are seen resting upon the edges ot the 
w ata , c °^ older rocks. Captain Franklin says, the older (primitive rocks) 
. , e ^conformable” to those he had just passed, or seen at 3 miles distance, 
le h can only mean, that the strata, at that distance from each other, had 
te ‘H angles of inclination. 
thfcr 111 ^ ltince C a pUun p rari ] i i} n turned to the north to Gt. Deori, and from 
Cc passed, in an easterly direction, across the boundary ot the sandstone to 
