of a Route from Madras to Bellaiy, in 1822, 437 



better acquainted with them ; for their resemblance is some- 

 times so strong as to render recourse to a test absolutely ne- 

 cessary ; an operation which would have occupied too much 

 time to be constantly put in practice while actually on route. 



An old pagoda at Wuntimettah is built of a dark blue lime- 

 stone, of a fine and close texture, taking a good polish, and 

 altogether a handsome, though rather a brittle building ma- 

 terial. Some of the blocks were varied with shades of gray or 

 white. Stratified masses of this limestone cross the road in 

 great abundance for the first five miles, as far as the village of 

 Baukrapett, from whence commences a considerable ascent, 

 leading through the clay-slate range which forms the eastern 

 boundary to the low and extensive flat country of the district 

 of Cuddapah. 



The deep covering of soil on the plains on the west side of 

 this range concealed all traces of rocks ; but the same dark 

 blue limestone appeared to be the universal building material 

 at Cuddapah, and must doubtless have been procured close at 

 hand, although I did not myself meet with any quarries in the 

 immediate vicinity. Varieties of this limestone were, however, 

 common during all the rest of my progress to the north ; al- 

 though latterly, that is to say, after passing Poornamila, it al- 

 tered considerably in its colour as well as in its texture, be- 

 coming more granular and crystalline, as well as of a light gray 

 colour. 



Calc-tufa, marls, and conglomerates were in great abundance 

 from the first appearance of the regularly stratified limestone, 

 in distinct depositions of considerable extent, as well as filling 

 the seams of the clay-slate, particularly in the green variety 

 near and subsequent to Poornamila. The red coloured, por- 

 phyritic-like limestone, which I have mentioned as occurring 

 first near Rajampett, was met with frequently afterwards in 

 the defile between Nundaloor and Wuntimettah, 'on entering 

 the plains of the Saghilair, between Poornamila and Alinug- 

 gur, &c, and always in horizontal masses of very considerable 

 extent, and from one and a half to two or three feet thick. 

 Schist was generally found immediately below, and its seams 

 filled with depositions of the same nature. 



This conglomerate is composed principally of spherical no- 

 dules of a kind of calc spar of a dull reddish colour, from one- 

 tenth to five- or six-tenths of an inch diameter, in an earthy 

 basis of a light brown ; small angular particles of quartz are 

 also sparingly dispersed through it. This conglomerate is ex- 

 tremely hard, but not always compact, having frequently nu- 

 merous vesicular cavities. 



At Cuddapah I first noticed a very singular variety of calc- 

 tufa 



