On the Corundum Stone from Afta. 4f^ 



filnning in length about a mile and a half eaft and weft over the brow of a very rifing groand, 

 I faw at once the place from which the ftone was procured. The prodigious extent that 

 at different times appears to have been dug up, with the few people employed, ftiews that it 

 has been a bufinefs of ages. ' . . - 



" The ground on which the vein of excavation runs, and of courfe the mineral, commands 



, one of the fineft and moft extenfive profpe<fts it is poffible to conceive. The furface of 



the ground is covered with innumerable fine alabafter ftones, and a variety of fmall fhrubs, 



but not a tree fufEcient to flicker my palanquin. . ■, ^, J 



** There is not the appearance of an habitation within three quarters of a mile. The 

 neareft village is called Condraftra Pollam. In this village are about 30 fftiall thatched 

 houfes : among thefe are 5 families, who, in defcent by prefcriptive right, are the^miners, and 

 dig in the pits. The neareft place of any confequence in Rennel's Map, is Caranel, on the 

 fouth fide the Cavery. The diftance of the pits from the river is above four miles ; but the 

 ground between prevents its being feen in a direft line; A fine view of the river is feen nestfe 

 Erode ; which fort, as well as Sankerdroog, are plainly vifible with the naked eye, as is alfd 

 the Coimbitoor country, fouth and weft of die river, to an immenfe extent. 



" I procured at Permetty a cadjan, from the Bramin manager to the head man of the 

 Pollam'; which on my arrival at the pits I fent to him ; and foon after three of the miners 

 came from the Pollam, with their implements, and families following with provifions. As 

 they came up they inquired of my fervant how they were to addrefs me, having never feen 

 an European before. 



" I followed them into a pit in the line of the excavation, above 14 feet from the ground 

 level. The inftrument they ufed is a very heavy iron crow, ending in a broad point, with 

 a ftraight wooden handle clampt with iron. The foil they cut through is of different colours, 

 but compofed chiefly of a gritty granite ; and at the depth of feven feet are layers of a 

 fubftance not unlike dried pitch, which crumbles into fmall flakes when taken out. With 

 confiderable labour the miners, with the points of their crows, cut out feveral pieces of the 

 ftrata, of fome pounds weight each ; and when a confiderable quantity was broken off, it 

 was carried up, and cruftied to pieces with great force by the iron crow. Among thefc 

 broken lumps the corundum ftone is found ; but in many of the pieces there was nonju 

 The mode of getting it, made it difficult to get any with the ftratum adhering to it ; this, 

 however, after feveral trials, I obtained very perfedl, and ftiall forward to Madras, with fpeci- 

 mens of the ftrata at different depths. The ftone is beyond all comparifon heavier than the 

 fubftance which encrufts It. 



" It appears extraordinary how this ftone, fo concealed, fhould, under fuch difficulties, have 

 been fought for, and applied to any purpofe j and that the knowledge of the few people 

 who dig for it, and who do fo from father to fon, is confined entirely to the finding the ftone. 

 For they told me they knew none of its ufes, and that the labour was.fo hard,, and their 

 gain fo fmall, that they would, through choice, rather work in the fields ; that the fale of it, 

 from the fpot, is confined folely to the glafs-fellers, who vend it ever the whole country, 

 and who had, while I was there, above forty Parriar horfes, bullocks, &c. ready in the 



3 0^2 Pollam 



