Records of the Geological Snrveg of Lidia. 
[voL. xr. 
17J. 
On the Origin op the Kumaun Lakes by V. Ball, M.A., F.G.S., 
Geological Survey of India. 
In so far as the outer and lower ranges of the Himalayas are concerned, the 
group or series of lakes described in the following pages is in several respects 
quite unique. 
To many out of the thousands who have visited the beautiful part of the 
country where these lakes are situated, the question of their origin must have 
presented itself. Doubtless, it is in consequence of the difficulties which sur¬ 
round the subject, that no one has ventured to publish his observations and 
deductions in full. 
To Mr. H. F. Blanford, I believe, belongs the credit of having firsB suggesteil 
in print^ an origin for them. But the subject has often been discussed, and 
three or four years ago it was specially commended to my notice by one who 
has frequently visited Haini Tal, and whose acquaintance with the Alps and 
the literature of the subject led him to suspect that that lake might possibly 
have been excavated by an ancient glacier. 
Could I foresee within the next few years any prospect of my being able to 
carry on my examination, of the ground, I should not have presented this 
unfinished sketch ; but as I do not do so, I think the publication of the facts here 
given desirable, as it may facilitate the speedy final solution of the question, and 
may also have the advantage of eliciting the opinions of experienced glacialists, 
who are unable to visit the locality for themselves. 
During a recent visit to Naini Tal, I had hoped to have been able to have 
prepared a detailed geological map of the neighbourhood of the lakes, but cir¬ 
cumstances beyond my control arose, which diminished my time for exploration 
by two-thirds. Though the area is not extensive, the complex and disturbed 
nature of the beds renders their true appreciation and demarcation a by no 
means easy task. Owing to landslips, and the fact of so large a portion of 
the basin of Naini Tal being built over, the accurate mapping of individual beds 
and of the trap will require much time to accomplish. 
Of the age of the unfossiliferous metamorphosed schists in which the 
lakes occur nothing is certainly known. In the account of the Geology of 
Kumaun and Garhwal by Mr. H. B. Medlicott* will be found such information 
as exists on the subject. Some casual observations on the geology which bear 
upon the physical origin of the lakes will be found in their places below; other¬ 
wise there is no intention of giving a detailed account of the stratigraphy in 
this paper. Besides the map on the scale of one inch to a mile, shewing the 
relative positions of all the lakes, it has been con-sidered advisable to give with 
this paper a copy of the lai’ge scale map of Naini Tal, wliich indicates vei’y beau¬ 
tifully and with extreme fidelity the physical structure of the neighbourhood. 
• Unless Genei'al Stracliey’s remark, that an outburst of uinygclaloidal trap “ is associated witli 
the formation of several sniall lakes,” is intended to be read us implying cause and effect.—Quar. 
Jour., Geol. Soc., Vol. VII, p. 298. 
^ Proc. As. Soc., Bengal, January 1877, p. 3. 
® Vide N.-W. Provinces Gazetteer, edited by E. Atkinson, Esq., C.S. 
