"تقرير عسكري عن جنوب غرب بلاد فارس، يتضمن أقاليم خوزستان (عربستان)، لورستان، وجزءًا من فارس" [‎٣‎٤‎٩] (٤٦٦/٣٩٦)

349
A small stream flows across tlie valley, cutting its way throug-H tlie
ridges. When it comes in contact with the smooth surfaces of the beds, a
thick incrustation of chloride of sodium above the level of the water-line' is
the result. As the water is not yet become salt, the mineral must exist in
the rock itself.
The oleander and the tamarisk are the usual shrubs which grow along
the banks of this and other streams flowing through the sandstone rocks.
I did not cross the valley sufficiently far to the north-east to be able to
state whether any deposits of gypsum are there to be met with.
Section at Shustar, —At Shustar are exhibited some very fine sections of
the gravel and sandstone beds. The Ab -i-Gargar division of the Karun river,
after passing the Band-i-Kaisar, enters a channel between cliffs of these
rocks, 70 feet in height. The stratitication is horizontal, and in the lower
part consists entirely of fine yellowish-red sandstone. In ascending, however,
the lamin£e become coarser, much disturbed, and mixed with gravel; while still
higher up the pebbles are larger and more common, until at the surface they
cover the cliffs. Frequent and very violent currents must have been in action
during the deposition of the whole upper part of the gypsum series. Upon
the right bank of the Shatai't the pebbles are large, and are cemented in a
calcareous paste, with large boulders of the limestone conglomerate of Dizful.
Serdabs or cellars, probably of great antiquity, are here excavated in the
sands and conglomerate rock; and in the bed of the stream are huge masses
of the latter, which, from being undermined, have fallen from their position.
The serdabs in the town are excavated deep in the sandstone; and some little
attention is paid to architectural embellishments, su di as columns and pilasters.
The finer sandstone is here generally used for building purposes; but
when exposed to the atmosphere it peels off in flakes or rapidly disintegrates.
This character pervades the whole of the gypsum sandstones.
Section (fig. 3) from Dizful to Khoramdbdd.—Refer to Road Report No. 1.
The road between Dizful and Khoramabad passes only a few miles to the north
west of the section last described at Grilalahu; and here we have presented a
simlar order of stratification. The saddle axis has, however, sunk down; the
beds dip somewhat more irregularly, and are contorted, which appears to be
owing to several undulations or folds, still bearing in the same north-west
direction, but having the general dip towards the south-west.
From Dizful to the Baladrud river, a distance of 17 miles, the road rises
over a sand and gravel plain, without any particular order of stratification
being visible. At the point where the river is crossed, near a ruined bridge,
the banks are 150 feet high, and afford the following section :—
(1) Coarse gravel conglomerate with large boulders of nummulitic lime
stone.
(2) Fine gravel and reddish calcareous sandstone passing into
(3) Fine gravel (chert, quartz, &c.).
(4) Thin layers jof red calcareous marl.
(5) Red sandstone (the same as No. 2)— see page 203.
A large block of the sandstone No. 5 had, from being undermined by
the river, fallen a few feet from its position. The upper surface was thus
exposed, and exhibited distinct ripple marks. Upon the under-surface of the
overlying marl, which remained in situ )
strongly marked.
were the corresponding impressions
u