of Salem and Barramahal. 157 



height, present an appearance which seems to threaten 

 every moment a descent into the plains below.* Such hills 

 afford one of the most sublime appearances of the granite 

 formation, when viewed from a spot near their bases. The 

 third is that of a pile of loose crags of variable, irregular 

 shape, thrown loosely together, forming innumerable cells 

 and cavities, in which bears are particularly fond of mak- 

 ing their dens. The fourth is an approximation to an irre- 

 gular columnar structure, which is not common ; but may be 

 seen in the Kollymally hills, north of Trichinopoly. In- 

 stances of this columnar structure are sometimes seen in 

 single masses of granite, projecting perpendicularly from 

 the summits of hills ; and one of these may be seen at 

 Pennasomoodrum, five miles south east of Caverypatam, 

 which last is ten miles south of Kistnagherry. The column 

 appears about 150 feet high, and 50 feet in diameter, (but I 

 had not leisure to take the measure) ; its sides are quite 

 straight and smooth, and its shape is irregular ; but it rises 

 suddenly from the summit of a little hill of loose granite 

 stones. Altogether it much resembles, except in size, 

 McCulloch's drawing of the Scur of Egg, (Western Isles.) I 

 have little doubt that the colossal granite statues in Mysore, so 

 often described, have been hewn from similar columns. 

 The fifth, exactly resembles a hill of projecting crags, 

 covered nearly to the summit by dirt and rubbish, having 

 been shovelled on 5 until the summit is only left visible, and 

 occasionally the point of a crag from the sides. This 

 appearance is common in those hills which have been des- 

 cribed by Dr. Benza as syenite.f Of this kind are the hills 

 of Pallicondah, near Vellore, Amboor, and the hills near 



* An instance of the descent of one of these masses occurred while one of my 

 sub-assistants was upon the Shavavoy hills, when a huge mass rolled from its seat 

 near the hill top, clearing the forest trees and jungle, into a wide road along its 

 course to the plain. 



f Madras Journal of Science, volume iv. p. 18. 



