APPENDIX. 



territory of Smyrna, presents many ancient columns of ba- 

 salt and granite ; but in the mosques the Turks, from super- 

 stition, colour them green or red. About five miles* from 

 Smyrna is a place called Nemphis, where there are mines of 

 lead which yield silver, the hills being traversed by veins of 

 gneiss. 



No. VIII. Account of some Rocks in the south of 

 Hindostan ^. 



" In ascending the Ghats, I had an excellent opportunity of 

 observing the strata, where the rock had been cut away to 

 form the road. The grand component part of these moun- 

 tains is a granite, consisting of white felspar and quartz, with 

 dark green mica in a small proportion to the other two in- 

 gredients. The particles are angular, and of moderate size. 

 It seems to come near to the granitello of the Italians (Wal- 

 ler. Min. ii. p. 423), and is an excellent material for building, 

 as it is readily cleft by wedges, and is at the same time strong 

 and durable. Intermixed with this is another stone, in a 

 state of decay, consisting of angular masses of various sizes, 

 divided by fissures, so as to be separable with little difficulty. 

 The sides of the fissures are tarnished, and covered by extra- 

 neous matter. This is a stone commonly called a granite in 

 decay, the mica being supposed to have been entirely decom- 

 posed, and the felspar to be in the act of decomposition, and 

 to have assumed an arid powdery appearance, while the glassy 

 quartz retains its natural consistence. That the strata in 

 question are in a state of decay, from the numerous fissures 

 in them, 1 have no doubt ; but there are other strata of simi- 

 lar component parts common all over the lower Carnatic, 

 especially at MahabaHpura (the seven Pagodas), which are in 

 the most perfect state of preservation, without the smallest 



* German miles? 



f* From Buchanan's Travels, 3 vols. 4to. 



2 S 2 



627 



