lOSJ GEOLOGY OF TRICHINOPOLY, &C. [ChAP. IV. 2. 



only in the absence of white veins of pure magnesite of any size. Frag-- 



ments of jasjjer are very numerous, and the peeu- 



Travertm of rolliam. _ ^ 



liarly characteristic net-work of white thread-like 

 veins is very common. As at Trii^unguly, Cajareputty^ and Volconda- 

 puram, the travertin deposit is situated on high ground. 



The last of the magnesite localities to be described lies in a straight 



line 19 miles east-south-east of Salem Bridge, 



Eashurmullay. 



in a small jungly valley^ opening out eastward from 

 the Eashurmullay^ an extensive but not very high hill about 6 miles 

 south of the " Travellers' Bungalow" at Watapandy (on the Salem and 

 Cuddalore road). 



The Eashurmullay is crossed by a bed of compact steatite, largely 

 worked as a pot-stone at Tandagoundenpolliam^ on the west side of the 

 hill^ from which village great quantities of steatite vessels^ bowls, &c.j 

 are sent away as far as Combaconum (in Tanjore) to be used as culinary 

 utensils, especially by Brahmins.^ 



The bed of steatite runs about north-north-east at Tandag-ounden- 

 polliam, but trends to east by south in crossing the hill, and on reaching 

 the small valley above alluded to, runs along the middle of it. About 

 3 or 400 yards from the extreme head, it is crossed obliquely by 

 a good sized trap-dyke running south-west to north-east. The con- 

 tact of the trap and steatite is not seen, owing to accumulations of soil, 

 but the point of intersection is very distinctly marked by the appearance 

 of a quantity of greyish travertin, traversed by unmistakeable veins of 



* Tlie pot-stone vessels fetch a high price coinpai-cd to earthen-ware vessels of the 

 same size, in spite of their rather rude shape. This is owing to their power of resisting the 

 action of fire. Two small sized pot-stone vessels are aU that one man can turn in a day, hy 

 which he would earn from 4 to 8 annas. Large sized vessels not unfrequently require 

 two or three days' work, which is not unfrequently lost, owing to the presence of flaws 

 caused by crystals of iron pyrites, which almost invariably cause the vessel to crack when 

 they are struck by the workman's cutting tool. The pot-stone is extracted from the bed 

 by means of rude pits 8 or 10 feet deep. 



( 324. ) 



