NELLORE COPPER WORKINGS. 79 



with the schists, but the ore in the latter is in nests or strings running 



with the foliation, and nothing is known as to the lie of the irregular 



masses in the traps, these all being from debris. 



The latest information regarding these occurrences — and they do not 



Latest explorations of g^ much more clue to tbe extent of ore or its lie — 

 Mr. Lavelle. k as | Deen obtained by Mr. Lavelle, 1 an enthusiastic 



and energetic explorer, though perhaps too apt to take a florid view of 



his finds. 



The villages examined by Mr. Lavelle are nearly all in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Garimanipenta, and the specimens obtained by him have 

 been examined by my colleague, Mr. Mallet, whose notes I also append. 

 Mr. Lavelle writes : — 



"I arrived at Gurumanapettah on the 8th November, and com- 

 menced prospecting for copper next morning, and was successful in finding 

 some good samples from several water-courses. Many lodes are to be 

 seen in outcrop. 



"On the morning of the 10 th I started with three gangs of coolies 

 to examine the lodes, so as to determine which to commence work on. 



" I commenced on a lode f mile south-east from the village, and 

 opened on the highest point of outcrop ; as the weather looked monsoony, 

 and as I was about to work in open pits, in tbe event of rain and my 

 working on the dip of the lode would flood me out. 



" I commenced work by marking out 60 feet along the line of reef, 

 and 22 feet on the dip. 



" The outcrop being very poor, led me to believe I would have to go 

 some depth before meeting with ore fit to send to Madras, but was 

 agreeably surprised to find the ore getting richer at every foot of sink- 

 ing, and at 5 feet from the surface the ore had improved so much that 

 I began to stack it for despatch to Madras. I continued the sinking on 

 the west end of the trench to 9 feet deep and 20 feet long to east. The 

 bearing of this lode is 285*30 from outcrop along the line of reef, and 

 can be traced for a long way in outcrop. 



1 These notes have been placed at my disposal by gentlemen for and with whom 

 Mr. Lavelle is carrying out mining explorations. 



( 187 ) 



