436 Capt Cullen's Notice of the Geological Features 



stone to quartz*. All the hills on the right of the road from 

 Chinoor towards Nundialpett exhibited parallel lines on their 

 slope, similar to those of clay -slate formerly adverted to. 



The second variety occurred four or five miles north of 

 Poornamila, distinctly interstratified with clay-slate. Imme- 

 diately on leaving that village, a low but very extensive and 

 sharp ridge is observed to issue from the eastern boundary of 

 the Poornamila plains, and crossing the road obliquely, to 

 enter the clay-slate range forming the western boundary of 

 the valley, which extends by Alinuggur towards Cummum. 



This low range is very conspicuous, being at least six or eight 

 miles in length, and running directly across the north-east 

 portion of the plain. The high road lies immediately over it, 

 near its western extremity. The rocks, in this instance, were 

 distinctly stratified, and formed the crest on the centre of the 

 ridge, bounded on both sides by clay-slate of a brownish gray 

 colour and silky lustre. 



I do not observe that I have any specimens of the quartz 

 rock forming the west side of the pass to Cuddapah, but ex- 

 ternally it resembles the specimens from Nundialpett. This 

 latter was internally of a dark bluish gray colour, with rather 

 a granular appearance, and having small earthy specks of a 

 rusty brown, sparingly dispersed through it. The second va- 

 riety in the ridge north of Poornamila appeared to be com- 

 posed of similar ingredients, but the earthy specks in much 

 greater quantity, and giving a decided colour to the rock. It 

 contains also a few distinct crystals of a black or deep red co- 

 lour, which appear to be garnets, and which may explain the 

 nature of the rusty specks. 



No limestone of any consequence was observed before reach- 

 ing Wuntimettah, although calcareous depositions are to be 

 met with ; such as a white tufa in wells between Codoor and 

 Pollumpettah, occasional traces of marl, and a singular red- 

 dish coloured limestone, or marl conglomerate, near Rajam- 

 pett, between Pollumpettah and Nundaloor. 



From the similarity of colour in the clay-slate, flinty-slate, 

 and calcareous schistus, it is not improbable, however, that 

 I may have occasionally been mistaken in my judgement as to 

 their nature in the early part of my march, and even when 



* I have since visited the inner range of hills near Cuddapah, running 

 north-west from the pass. They consist of sandstone; towards their base 

 rather coarse grained and dark coloured, but on the summit extremely 

 compact and of a light colour, and giving the hills much of the appearance 

 of quart! . This upper portion is very like the variety alluded to near Nun- 

 dialpett, but wanted the rusty specks. 



better 



