146 The American Geologist. September, i904 
that the contributions of the Russian investigator Ahnert are the only 
ones available. 
"The peninsula of Liau is according to the studies of Professor v. 
Richthofen covered by very ancient mountain chains liaving the di- 
rection VV.S.W.-E.N.E. These mountain chains are for the most part 
formed from Korean granite and crystalline schists which are older 
than the Sinian schists. Upon and between these mountain back-bones 
the bedded rocks of the Sinian period have been quietly deposited and 
occur in sufficiently large masses to make it possible to study in detail 
the age of the beds and the principal mountain systems. 
The same can be said of those parts which I traversed. The rocks 
which. I met upon my journey were for the most part massive rocks, 
the orographic and tectonic studies illuminating also the mountain re- 
gion at the N.E. of the Liau peninsula. 
The road from Kirin toward Mukden follows along the northwest- 
ern foot of the plateau of the mountain chain of Kuleh. This so- 
called mountain chain is really nothing else than the elevated margin of 
the trap plateau. Here runs a mighty line of fracture having the di- 
rection S.W.-N.E. and limiting on the northwest the upland of south- 
ern Manchuria. Along this fracture are found numerous volcanoes of 
youthful age whose nearly uninterrupted continuity lends to the moun- 
tain chain its character; of a chain of mountains it is only proper to 
speak in-so-far as here and there crystalline schists are also found and 
form individual patches. They lie at a steep inclination and their 
strike is S.W.-N.E. 
"Along the chains of the Thu-Schan as well as on the northwestern 
slope of the plateau district, basins are found which appear filled out 
with tertiary deposits. One such we meet in the vicinity of Kirin, where 
beneath a thick sand and gravel layer lie coal-bearing blue clay slates. 
A compact brown coal is also found in the same region, which appears 
to be of ancient origin, whose locality have, however, not yet been 
visited." 
"(i) The mountain chains running in crescents from north Chi-li 
are terminated in Liau-si by a mighty fracture. This line of fracture 
appears to meet the second where the greatest number and the most 
beautiful volcanoes group themselves together in the vicinity of Kirin. 
On from there — it appears — the line continues to follow the valley? of 
the Songari and Amur, even to the northern angle of the island of 
Sachalin. 
(2) On the southeastern side of the Liau river is found a second 
great fault line ; cutting through the region of Kirin and Mukden, it 
intersects .the western border of Shantung. This fracture line was 
determined by Richthofen. 
(3) The third fault line runs along the eastern end of the Tschang- 
pai range bordering on the east the Liau peninsula and throwing 
itself forward on the steep side of the projecting peninsula of Shan 
(Schantung), and uniting with the fault running down from the west- 
ern side of the Liau peninsula. The point of its junction is character- 
