1834.] in the Eastern Districts of Mysore. 471 



ness is to superintend the work, and to convert the products into 

 money. They then make a purse to purchase a sufficient quantity of 

 lamp oil, and the necessary iron tools. This being done, partly from a 

 prejudice they entertain that the tract over which a peacock has been 

 observed to fly and alight is that of a vein of gold, they fix upon a spot, 

 and then proceed to business. 



Having examined the mines near Marcupam, I proceeded in carrying 

 into execution the plan which I had formed of investigating the stra- 

 tum about the small hills extending north of Daseracottapilly, and also 

 the banks of the Pal-aur river. 



The service having taken me to a different tract from the 1st to the 

 4th of May, I had no opportunity of making any observation until I 

 arrived at a small village called Nellore on the western bank of the 

 river, one and half mile north of Battamangalam. I turned my atten- 

 tion in the first instance to the banks of the Pal-aur, from the bed of 

 which I obtained a few particles of gold, much the same in point of 

 quantity as what I had found at the second place, which I examined 

 near Baksagur. 



Having noticed on the same day a deep rutt in the ground, exhibiting 

 the same sort of red clay as I have formerly described when near the 

 hills, running from west to east towards the river, I thought it offer- 

 ed a good opportunity to establish whether the golden tract extended 

 so far to the eastward ; as it would at the same time (in case of suc- 

 cess) explain whence came the gold dust found in the river, my expe- 

 riments proved perfectly satisfactory, and I remained well assured (this 

 impregnated spot lying far beyond any possible overflow of the river) 

 that it did not receive its contents from the stream, but on the contra- 

 ry, supplied it with golden ore. I also formed an opinion that the me- 

 tal was not more peculiar to the hills than to the whole tract in which 

 they lay, comprehending a space of several miles east and west of them, 

 and extending more particularly to the -eastward, somewhat beyond the 

 banks of the Pal-aur river. This induced me to examine the interval 

 between Mutial Ghat and Manigatta Hill, an interval of about eleven 

 miles in extent, through which the range is interrupted, and presenting 

 a tolerably even surface, only encumbered with large granite stones, 

 which bespoke more of iron than of gold. 



On the 5th of May, moved to Carapanhelly, near Baterine Hill : on 

 this and the following day, examined successfully the whole of the 

 tract north of the hill. The stratum being at some places of a deep- 

 brown earth, succeeded by a grey argillaceous earth ; at others of a red 

 clay, succeeded by white calcareous earth and stones. 



