The Vedic fathers of geology

102 Tur Vepic FATHERS oF GEoLoGY. —

_-eyidence in support of, the fact. For, in this vespect, Mr. Medlicott Superintendent Geological Survey of India, says :—“ And the most ‘ancient form of life occurs ’( in India ) near the Wastern end of the hills”, viz. the Salt Range of the Punjab. (Manual of Indian Geology. p. XXIV )}. Moreover, subsequently, and a little later, the same authority states, “ still further Fast too, in the North of Kumaun, Silurian fossils have been discovered in considerable

quantities.” (bid. p. XXV )

But more than this, “ Noetling has recently described a series of strata as underlying beds containing ( the remains of the genus called ) Olenellus, in North West India ;’ and he conSyms the conclusions of Waagen that this series of strata contains fossils. He also asserts with confidence that these are of very ancient epoch, and even of older age than the Lowest Cambrian, that is Pre-Cambrian, meaning thereby tio say that the fossils belone to the Vindhyan Era, (vide the Students’ Lyell, edited by J. W. Judd, 1896. p. 438; The Imperial Gazetfeer. Indian Empire vol. 1. p. 59. Ed. 1907).

Thus, the researches of our hoary ancestors fhat describe A’rydvarta to be the scene of sitive vitality, and the region where life had