438 
SECTION OF COSSATCHI-DATCHI. 
conical hills between it and the adjacent village, of similar eruptive serpentinous 
masses, with greenstone, porphyry, &c. The wooded ridge seen beyond the coni- 
cal hills is called Narili, and the Ui-tash in the distance is a part of the Ural-tau, 
or watershed of the chain 1 . 
Referring to M. Rose for a copious detail of all the varieties of rocks and minerals 
of this neighbourhood, in which copper as well as gold mines abound, we merely 
dwell upon the facts, that here, as in all the other Uralian tracts on the eastern side 
of the mountain axis, serpentinous rocks abound and are associated with limestone, 
usually in a highly altered state, though occasionally containing Encrinites ; that 
red and other coloured jaspers occur, in contact with the bands of greenstone por- 
phyry , together with a sort of slaty calcareous conglomerate, penetrated by augite 
crystals ; and that whilst such phenomena with veins and masses of copper ore 
and auriferous alluvia are abundant, the eastern granitic ridges extending from the 
Ilmen, also contain bands of limestone, associated with micaceous and chloritic 
schists, copper ores and numerous simple minerals. 
From these facts we infer, that the whole of this part of the country originally 
consisted of a series of sedimentary schists, limestones, sandstones and conglome- 
rates, which by the linear outburst of varied eruptive matter, have been left in their 
present highly mineralized condition*. 
Quitting for the present the beautiful valleys about the lake Aushkul, as rich in 
vegetable as in auriferous soil, the reader must now accompany us over verdant 
tracts, across the Kumatch and a few other trappsean ridges, which alternate with 
altered schists, toKashaievo, on the outer flank of the chain, and thence traversing 
the great road from Miask to Verch-Uralsk, pass into another golden valley, or that 
of Cossatclii-datchi. 
Cossatchi- or Kazatchi-datchi (the Cossack-ground). — At this spot we were already 
as the name implies, on that frontier of Russia which is bounded by the wild 
Kirghis, against whom outposts or forts occupied by Cossacks were established, 
1 See detailed map of this tract. Rose, vol. ii. Tab. V. 
* Among the mineral substances which occur, we must, however, say a word upon the chromate of 
iron, which, according to M. Rose and M. Kupffer, is sometimes found in serpentine associated with mag- 
netic iron. We did not visit the mines of chromate of iron, but they are said to be so prolific, parti- 
cularly at one spot dependent on the Polalcofsk Zavod, and on the eastern slope of the Ural-tau, that 
not less than 20,000 poods, as we were informed, had been annually transported to Moscow. The use 
of this substance in manufactures is well known, and a manufacturer of Manchester has recently been 
induced to import the Uralian chromate, in consequence of a notice of its occurrence made by Mr Mur- 
chison during the meeting of the British Association held at that town in 1842. 
