NILGHIRI HILLS. 247 



as present sharp angles, and are at the same time exposed to much 

 mechanical wear. Being moreover susceptible of a high polish, and 

 very transparent, it would afford a very beautiful material for internal 



For internal decora- decorations, the effect of which would be enhanced 



by the judicious selection of slabs of various 



tints. Pink and grey, occasionally approaching white, are the prevailing 



Best loeality for a colors of the stone. Perhaps the best locality 



in which to open an experimental quarry for 



working this stone would be at the Eastern extremity of the low 



ridge crossing the Palghat road, and about three quarters of a mile 



to the East of the road. The stone is here very homogeneous in 



composition, and appears to be sufficiently jointed to render quarrying 



an easy process.* The situation of the limestone is very favorable as 



affording facilities of transport. The trunk road 

 Moans of transport, 



from Coimbatoor to Palghat and the Western, 

 coast crosses the band, as has been already mentioned, at about five miles 

 from the former station, and the Railway from Madras to Calicut and 

 Beypoor passes for some miles along its out-crop. Thus by opening 

 quarries at the side of the line the blocks dressed in the quarry 

 might be placed on trucks and conveyed to any point on the line 

 without the expense of reloading. 



On the plateau of the Neelgherries, there appears to be no limestone, 



No limestone on the either crystalline, or in the form of kunkur, and 



ee g ernes. ^^^ building purposes, this latter material is brought 



at a considerable expense from the plains of Coimbatoor, where it occurs 



in occasional patches of varying thickness. The supply for the barracks 



All lime brought from ^°'*^ erecting at Jackatalla is brought up in the 



unburnt state, packed in bags carried by bullocks. 



* As the locality was not within the area to which this report is specially devoted, only 

 a cursory examination of the Limestone was made, and a more minute survey might possibly 

 discoyer other apots equally, or even better, adapted for quarrying. 



