Gazetteer Of The Peshawar District 1897-98

· 1899 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Peshawar District- ]

2CHAP. I.— THE DISTHICT.

381

4untold treasures of gold, only they are hidden from mortal ken. The toils

5and lahours of irandoriog daroteas in search of tlieao treasures have hitherto

6been in ynio.

7Chapter I, B-

8Geoloej^ Fauna

9ana Flora.

10the

11“On the Bnghoch lull, near Bagh, in Cliinglai vole, nnd on the hill

12Loliacb, above Pilmr, are remains of some very extensive _ iron foundries. Geology of

13On both hills tlio surface, for many linndred yards, is covered Tvith the border hills,

14mins of_ old furnaces for the smelting of iron ore, snd the ground in

15their neighbourhood is stnuved with any quantity of slag and dross. Many

16of these masses appear still to contain some of the metal, Bothing is

17known locally as to the hietory of these tamnevs ; but, being in the immediate

18nciglibourhond of the Buddhist and Hindu mins of llanigntt nnd Mount Banj,

19they are probably relics c-f the industry of those departed races. On a de-

20tnctipd liill near hnndkhwar, the surface is covered mth small cubes of iron

21]>jTitcs in the limonife form 5 nnd on n bill some miles farther north, near

22Bliahkot, is n quarry for soapstone. It is indestructible in the fire, and is

23used ns a blow I10I0 for furnaces, and also as slabs for cooking bread upon.

24In the ravines abont Lnndkhivnr are also found handsome pebbles of con-

25g]omer.ste nnd boulders of podding atone which, in the hands of the atooe-

26entter, might be converted into a v.sriety of aHicIes of ornament nnd utility.’'

27The fermation of the Khatfnk hilts is of various limestones,

28oflon much contorted, and dcscribe-i as " ranging from a dark

29coloured, very innch indurated, silicions variety, to a caloareons

30flagstone, containing concrolioiinry ferraginoiiB nodules, which

31lias been n.sed foi flooring and rnofiiig purposes. ” The dip is

32generally westerly at a high angle.

33There are many points of remarkable interest in the geologioal Geology of ;

34formation of the valley of Peshawar. Even to cursory observ- Pl®'"

35ntiori it presents the appearance of having been remote

36centuries ago the bed of a vast lake, whose banks were formed

37bj’ the surrounding Hiinalnyas. and whose waters were fed by

38rivers that are now channelling through its former siib-aqneous

39bed. From whatever point of view you consider the valley, yon

40are led to the conolu’iion that yon an, dwelling upon ridges and

41inequalities which in some remote er. bottomed a large inland

42fresh-wafer sea. Its whole snifnco exhibits marked evidences

43of the mechanical efforts of currents, naves, rains, springs,

44slreain.s, and rivers, which at one time were pent np, but which

45ill process of time havi* created outlets through tlie wenlcest

46range of hills. Hills encircle it on every sideexoept one, wliere the

47Kiihul flows out (0 join the Indus ; these, being inetaraorpbic, ore

48abrupt, irregular, nnd barren, and consist of inetnmorpbic clay

49slate and mic’s schist, while those beyond, rising to the plateaux

50of Jalalabad and KAbnl, present every vniiety of geological

51lorinolion, becoming, ns they recede, iiiagnificent pine-covered

52mountains enclosing fertile and temperate v.illeys. The bed

53of the vfilley belongs 10 the p.>st-teriiary or recent system,

54nnd presents flio following evidences of having been the bed

55of a lake. The ncounnilations or alluvial deposit consist

56entirely of cl.ay, silts, sand, gravel, and bonlders. Here nnd

57there these silts are heaped up into small ' bills or ridges, the

58evidence of hinner sub-aqueous currents, * giving the sontlierii

59part of the volley an irregular configuration. Olay cliffs, or

60blufis, worn away by the nuinorona water-courses, exhibit in every

61* Probably rather subsequent denudation,— -Ed.

62the