PART 3.] . 
Sloliczka : Visit to ilie CJiaclerhul. 
83 
Proceeding in a north-westerly direction, the A/ey«M«,s-limestones are last seen near 
Murzaterek. From this place the greenish shales continue for a few miles further on, much 
disturbed and contorted; and at last disappear under a variety of dark coloured shales, 
slates, and sandstones, with occasional interstratified layers of black, earthy limestone. The 
strike of the beds is from cast by north to west by south, and the dip either very high to 
north or vertical. At Chakmak the river has cut a very narrow passage through these 
almost vertical strata, which rise precipitously to about 3,000 foot, and to the south of the 
fort appear to he overlain by a lighter coloured rock. It is very difficult to say what 
the age of these slaty beds may he, as they seem entirely unfossiliferous, and wo can at pre¬ 
sent only regard them as representing, in all probability, one of the palaeozoic formations. 
About five miles north-west of Chalcmak a sensible decrease in the height of the range 
takes place, and with it a change in the geological formation. The palaeozoic hods, although 
still crossing the valley in almost vortical strata, become very much contorted; while, uncoir 
formably on them, r'ost reddish and white sandstones and conglomerates, regularly bedded, 
and dipping to north-west with a steady slope of about 40 degrees. The rocks, though 
evidently belonging to a comparatively recent (kaiuozoie) epoch, appear to be much altered 
by heat, some layers having been changed into a coarse grit, in which the cement has almost 
entirely disappeared. I have not, however, observed any kind of organic remains in thorn. 
A little distance further on they several times alternate with successive, conformably bedded, 
doleritic trap. The rock is either hard and compact, being an intimate, rather lino grained 
mixture of felspar and augite in small thin crystals, or it decomposes into masses of various 
greenish and purplish hues, like some of the basic greenstones. 
. After leaving the junction of the Suyok and Toyan (or Chakmak) rivers, and turn¬ 
ing northwards into the valley of the latter, the panorama is really magnificent. Shades 
of white, red, purple arrd black compete with each other iu distinctness aud brilliancy, until 
the whole series of formations appears in the distance capped by a dark bedded rock. 
Although, judging from the greater frequency of basaltic boulders, we already knew 
that this rock must be found further north, we hardly realised the pleasant sight which 
awaited us on the march of the 4th January, after having left our camp at Kulja, or 
Bokum-bashi. The doleritic hods increased step by step in thickness, and after a few miles 
we passed through what appears to be the centre of an extensive volcanic eruption. Along the 
banks of the river columnar and massive basalt was noticed several times, with occasional small 
heaps of slags and scoriae, among a few outcrops of very much altered and disturbed strata of 
red or white sandstone, thus adding to the remarkable contrast of the scene. Iu front of us, 
and to the right, stretehed in a semicircle a regular old Somma; the almost perpendicular 
walls rising to about 1,500 feet above the river, and clearly exposing the stratification of the 
basaltic flows, which were successively dipping to north-east, east, aud south-east. On our 
left, as well as in an almost due western direction, portions of a similar Somma were visible 
above the sedimentary rocks, all dipping in the opposite way from those ahead of us. The cone 
itself has in reality entirely disappeared by subsidence, aud the cavity was filled with the rub¬ 
bish of the neighbouring rocks. 
Passing further north we crossed a comparatively low country, studded with small rounded 
hills and intercepted by short ridges with easy slopes; the average height was between 12,000 
and 13,000 feet. This undulating high plateau proved to bo one of the head-quarters of the 
Kulja (Ovls Polii), chiefly on account of the very rich grass vegetation which exists here. 
For this the character of the soil fully accounts. The entire ground was shown to consist 
of limestone gravel and pebbles of rather easily decomposing rocks, mixed with the ashes 
and detritus, evidently derived from the proximity of the volcanic eruption. Only rarely 
