Imperial Gazetteer Of India Provincial Series Vol-i (punjab)

· 1908 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

18 PUNJAB

2but gradually widen, till on the north-west they spread over the

3plains, forming a continuous mantle covering Jhelum and Rawal-

4pindi Districts, and extending to the northern parts of the Salt

5Range. The lowest or Sabathu group consists of grey and red

6gypseous shales, with subordinate bands of limestone. It is

7overlain conformably by the Dagshai group, composed of a

8great thickness of grey sandstones, with bright red nodular

9clays. These are followed by bright red or purple clays, over-

10lain by sandstones w^hich constitute the Kasauli group. The

11Sabathu group yields fossils of Nummulitic age, while no

12recognizable fossils have been found in the Dagshai, and only

13plant remains in the Kasauli group ; but it is probable that the

14two last represent the oligocene and lower miocene of Europe.

15The Upper Tertiary or Siwalik series is separated from all the

16older beds by one of the most marked structural features of

17the Himalayas, the main boundary fault, a great dislocation

18which can be traced for long distances along the lower parts of

19the range. Sandstones and red clay form the lowest group,

20being well seen at Nahan. They are succeeded, often uncon-

21formably, by many thousand feet of very soft grey sandstone,

22with bands of clay. These are overlain by conglomerates

23which constitute the uppermost portion of the Siwalik series.

24In the Siwalik Hills the thickness of the series is at least

2515,000 feet. The two upper groups contain great quantities of

26mammalian remains of pliocene age.

27The flora falls naturally into four primary divisions : the

28Himalayas, the submontane belt from the Jumna to the Ravi,

29the plain proper, and the Salt Range on both sides of the

30Indus with connected country in the north-west of the

31Province.

32The Himalayan tract includes the basin of the Sutlej, from

33the Tibetan border at Shipki to the hill station of Kasauli in

34Ambala District; the basins of the Beas and Ravi, from their

35sources to the submontane tracts of Kangra and Gurdaspur;

36the basins of the Chandra and Bhaga, which unite to form'

37the Chenab, from the high watershed that divides their sources

38from the Indus valley to the eastern borders of Kashmir and

39Jammu; and a promontory bounding the Kashmir valley on

40the south, and culminating in the station of Murree about

416,500 feet above sea-level.

42The Sutlej basin is again divided into two well-marked

43portions, of which the outer includes Simla District and

44adjoining Hill States, with Kasauli. The trees and shrubs of

45this portion, to about 6,000 feet, are mainly subtropical ; but