On the Occurrence and Distribution of Gold in India. 583 
of the Soortoor Nullah, the richest of all lies entirely within the area 
occupied by the pseudo diorite and associated chloritic schists. 
“ Quartz reefs occur in all the rock series above enumerated, but those 
lying within the limits of the Soortoor series are the best defined.” . . . 
“The surface of the principal reefs has been much broken up, doubtlessly 
by gold seekers.” 
Mr. Foote obtained a trace of gold ina fragment of quartz from 
the principal reef in the Kappatgode series.* 
Betcaum Disrricr.— Mr. Foote (/. c.) mentions several localities 
in this district where gold was formerly washed for, or was re- 
ported to occur in the sands of various streams. It appears to 
have been derived from quartz reefs which traverse some chloritic 
schists and pseudo diorite. In certain localities gold is still ob- 
tained in small quantities, but the district does not appear to be 
one of much promise. 
The gold washers (Jalgars) are stated to be Mahomedans, which 
is exceptional, probably they are converts. 
Kuxapetr District.—In reference to this district Mr. Footet has 
written :— 
“ Gold is found in very small quantities in some of the streams flow- 
ing into the upper part of the Malprabha, from both sides, through a 
region occupied by chloritic schists, with rather poor hematite schist 
intervening. 
“The exact source of the gold supply remains to be determined. The 
yield is so exceedingly small that these streams are now but very rarely 
visited by the Jalgars or gold washers. Very few quartz veins occur in 
this region, and none were noticed with a north to south course. A 
small stream a little westward of the village of Belowaddi appears to be 
the most auriferous, but I failed in getting an appreciable quantity of gold 
in a number of carefully selected samples of sand and gravels collected 
in promising places in the bed.” 
BENGAL. 
Using the term Bengal in its widest acceptation, the gold- 
producing areas included in it may be classified as follows :— 
1. Central Provinces. 
2. Orissa. 
3. South-Western Bengal, or The Chutia Nagpur Province. 
4. North-West Provinces, including the Himalayas and 
Punjab. 
* Other authorities on this region are, as quoted by Mr. Foote—Aytoun, Lieutenant, 
“ Trans. Bombay Asiatic Society,” Vol. XI.,p. 8; Carter, Dr., “ Geological Papers on Western 
India” ; Newbold, Capt., No. 4 of ‘‘ Papers on the Mineral Resources of Southern India.” 
t “Memoirs Geological Survey of India,” Vol. XII., p. 259. 
