Geography of Eastern Asia. — Hobbs. 79 
a fault plane which is steeply inclined outward, while a forcing up of the 
beds or an overturning has in no case been observed. 
Tliis holds for both components of the crescents. I think it may oe 
concluded from this that the meridional faults point to a tendency of 
the eastern foreland to give way toward the east in the direction of 
the Pacific ocean ; the equatorial faults to a similar yielding toward the 
south in the direction of the Ts'm-ling-schan (Tsin-ling mountains) and 
its eastern continuation. To this doubled tension and the depression in 
consequence along two lines which meet under an obtuse angle may be 
ascribed the crescent-like sinking down in steps of the areas lying with- 
in the obtuse angle of the border of the orographic blocks which remain 
stationary. 
In accord with this explanation are two other phenomena. 
One is the recurrence of parallel faults of the same kind (same sense) 
in the rear land of the step-crescents. They appear to be more rare in 
the north and to increase in the breadth of the zone affected by them and 
in the number of faults as they approach the Tsin-ling-scJian (Tsin-ling 
mountains). They point to regional control of extensions of the same 
kind dependent upon tension, which was relieved along certain lines, 
but which all fall in significance far behind the chain-like line of crescents 
within the great transcontinental line here considered. To the phenome- 
non of the parallel faults alone attention will here be directed ; the ques- 
tion of the recurrence of crescent fractures of the same sense with the 
eastern foreland being left untouched. 
The other phenomenon has to do with the occurrence of the erup- 
tive rocks. They oc^cur in those places where, in the case of the develop- 
ment of folds by overturning, they should be lacking, viz. ; between the 
subordinate steps (Theilstaffcln) and in the outer margin of the cres- 
cent shaped marginal zones. In reference to the first mentioned oc- 
currence it is sufficient to refer to what was said of the north Chinese 
and Daurian ranges ; respecting the latter, the volcanic rocks may be 
thought of as on the Okhotskian slope of the Aldan range, on the east 
side of the Khinga)i, from Mergen to Mukden, on the outer margin of 
Lian-hsi (Liao-si), and in the embayment of Pekin. That they occur 
also upon the rear of the crescents, as on the southern border of Mon- 
golia, and at Wititn (Vitim), can only confirm a widely extended control 
of tensional forces of the same kind. 
c. To the southward of the Tsin-ling-schan (Tsin-ling mountains) 
the observations do not suffice for the formation of a definitive verdict. 
For the meridional faults the explanation probably holds which was 
offered for the northern fractures of this kind. They cut through an 
old folded structure under an acute an^:le, and there is no indication 
present of a pushing forward of the upper limb over the lower or of a 
folding in perpendicular direction upon the line of depression ; it can 
surely not be denied that eruptive rocks are not known along the latter. 
The equatorial lines on the south side of Kxvci-tschoii (Kui-chau) and 
Yunnan (Yunnan) appear none the less to be different from those of 
