16 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



admixture is discoverable, and in which an argilla- 

 ceous matter probably wacke forms the cement ; 

 and in the latter place the mines are absolutely 

 in mountains composed of wacke, in which I have 

 not discovered any jasper or other pebbles. The 

 latter mines are particularly remarkable. They 

 are said, about eighty years ago, to have fur- 

 nished the largest gems to the Nizam's collection, 

 at all events they deserve future and particular 

 investigation. I made an excursion to them in 

 1808, but when there, was so ill and so weak that 

 I was barely able to walk to the hills where the 

 diamond mines had been worked. They are very 

 extensive, on a kind of table land which is inter- 

 sected by ranges of hills, on which these mines 

 wind from one to another/' 



I had inspected the Banaganpully mines ; had 

 then gone east to Nundial, and had been for the 

 last week hunting up and down the gorges and 

 hill-tops of the Nullamullays near to the famous 

 peak of Eshwarnacoopum (God's Hill), over three 

 thousand feet high. I had received native in- 

 formation which led me to believe that I would 

 find the place of which I was in search to the 

 north-east of the above-mentioned peak. That 

 part of the country was said to be very heavily 

 wooded and extremely malarious, so that none 

 but the wild Chentsus a race inhabiting these 

 hills could live there ; and there were tracts so 

 deadly that even the wild Chentsus dared not 

 enter them. The diamond mines were said to be 

 there, but guarded by enormous serpents of the 



