GNEISSIC ROCKS : TRAP DYKES. 63 



therefore, from the strongly crystalline texture of the ordinary dioritic 

 dykes. In color this Yerrudoni dyke is blackish-grey instead of black 

 or dark-greenish black. The hardness and toughness of the trap of 

 this dyke are very remarkable. 



The fineness or coarseness of the texture of the trappean rocks is in 

 proportion to their width , — the smaller the dyke, the finer the grain of the 

 rock. One very perfect little dyke, about 18 inches, which runs for several 

 Legend of Perkitti hundred yards among the fine granite gneiss hills 

 ^^^ ' west of Bhanur (Bhunnoor) '^^ in the Raich ur 



Taluq, has been associated by the natives with a very interesting leo-end 

 for which I am indebted to Peshkar Anna Rao, who pointed out the 

 little dyke to me.t 



* Bhanur, or Mannur as it is locally more often called, a small town, of great antiquity 

 according to native tradition, lies twenty-three miles south-west of Raichur. The crossed 

 swords drawn in the Atlas Sheet about five miles west-by-south of the town have reference 

 to the action in which General Arthur Wellesley overtook and routed Dundia Wao- the 

 Mahratta freebooter. 



t The legend is that Perkitti Rajah, who ruled at Manevi (the ancient name of 

 Bhunnoor) more than a thousand years since, had one day, while hunting, completely out- 

 stripped his followers and found himself close to a well, near which sat an old man. Not 

 knowing the old man to be a Rishi of tremendous sanctity, who was then and there en- 

 gaged in practising further austerities and sitting in a state of complete mental absorption, 

 the Rajah, who was desperately thirsty and tired, called out to him to bring him some water 

 from the well. The old man stared at him and took no notice of his call, at which the 

 RHJab became very wroth, but finding his request unattended to, had to dismount and go to 

 the well himself. Having quenched his thirst he noticed before remounting that the body 

 of a dead snake lay on the ground close by, when the idea came into his mind to hang it 

 round the old man's neck in revenge for his incivility to a great Rajah. This he did and rode 

 ofi'home. Some time after the Rishi's son-in-law came up and was ofiended beyond mea- 

 sure on perceiving the gross insult which had been ofi'ered to so holy a saint. He roused 

 the Rishi from his absorption, drew his attention to the insult he had been subjected to, and 

 enquired who had passed that way. The Rishi replied nobody but the Rajah of Manevi, 

 and thereupon in " holy anger and pious grief" proceeded to pronounce a tremendous curse 

 upon him to the efiect that he should be bitten by a snake and die within seven days. The 

 Rajah when he heard of the curse got terribly frightened, knowing the relentless nature of 

 the Rishi whom in his ignorance he had unfortunately insulted so grossly. To save his life, 

 his people, by whom he was much beloved, immediately built a small tower of great strength, 

 and with only one opening, on the highest and almost inaccessible peak west of the town, 



( 63 ) 



