Geological researches in China, Mongolia, and Japan, during the years 1862-1865.

CHINA, MONGOLIA, AND JAPAN. 51
CHAPTER VI.1
ON THE GENERAL GEOLOGY OF CHINA PROPER; A GENERALIZATION BASED ON OBSERVATIONS, AND ON THE MINERAL
PRODUCTIONS AND THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SURFACE.
IT is with much misgiving that I begin even an attempt at a general sketch of
the geology of China. The great extent of the country, the very limited area
examined geologically, the, mostly, very general character of the observations made
within that area, and our ignorance of the geological structure of the surrounding
countries, render the attempt more than dangerous.
The sketch, and the map accompanying it, make no claims to accuracy, but I
hope to show by means of them the leading features of the structure of the country,
as deduced from observations in parts of the country and from mineral productions.
The fact that hardly any two maps of China resemble each other in the geographical names; and that on most of them many of the names that I must use are not
given, renders a sketch-map necessary, and this is to be regarded as a colored guide
to the generalizations, and not as a geological map of the country.
The data on which the generalizations are founded consist in:
My own observations.
The observations of other European travellers.
And in the information obtained from Chinese authorities.
The limits of my own observations have been already given; they were confined
to the valley of the Yangtse Kiang, from the sea to near the eastern boundary of
Sz'chuen, and to the northern departments of the provinces of Chihli and Shansi.
The results of this portion of the data have been given in the preceding pages.
The observations of European travellers have furnished, so far as my knowledge
of them goes, but very little information on the geology of the country, and even
this is often vague and evidently incorrect. I have thought it worth while to give,
in a condensed form, such information as I have been able to extract from this
source.
Nanking to Canton.2-Gray, compact limestone is quarried back of Nanking.
Siaukushan [Little Orphan Island], near the mouth of Poyang lake, is puddingSee Map, P1. 6.
a Clarke Abel. Narrative of a Journey in the Interior of China, and of a Voyage to and from the
Country, 1816-1817, etc. Lond. 1818.