QUARTZ (AGATE): OCCURRENCE LN INDIA 517 



mentioned, are the amygdaloidal rocks or so called traps of the Deccan plateau. These 

 Deccan traps cover an area of thousands of square miles and extend into the suiTOunding 

 districts, namely, the ancient kingdom of Gujarat, with its capital of Surat, the district to 

 the west of the Gulf of Cambay, now known as the Kathiawar peninsular, and a portion of 

 Rajputana. Another occurrence which should be mentioned is much further to the east 

 in the Rajmahal Hills, which are situated in latitude 25" N., at the point where the Ganges 

 bends to the west. These hills, as well as the neighbouring portions of Bengal, consist of 

 a volcanic rock similiar to those of the Deccan plateau. 



The crevices and amygdaloidal cavities in these rocks are everywhere filled with agate, 

 carnelian, &c., which are set free by the weathering of the mother- rock and are found loose 

 in the ground or as pebbles in the Godavari, Wanda, Kistna, Bhima, and several other 

 rivers rising in or flowing through the Deccan. In some places the angular or rounded 

 blocks of chalcedony are more or less firmly bound together by a ferruginous cementing 

 material, thus forming extensive and sometimes thick beds of conglomerate. These beds 

 of conglomerate or secondary deposits of agate constitute the main source of the material 

 used for cutting. 



Although the several varieties of chalcedony are widely distributed throughout 

 India, they are not everywhere of a quality suitable for cutting. Among the numerous 

 localities at which material of good quality is obtained there are two of special importance, 

 which have been mentioned before as localities for moss-agate, mocha-stone, heliotrope, 

 carnelian, &c. These are the neighbourhood of Ratanpur, on the lower Narbada river, 

 in the State of Rajpipla, and the country north of Rajkot, in the Kathiawar peninsula, 

 where the varieties of chalcedony just mentioned are everywhere accompanied by agate. 



The best known deposits are at Ratanpur, whence for more than 2000 years the 

 lapidaries at Broach have obtained their supplies of rough carnelian, agate, &c. The best 

 specimens all come from a thin bed of conglomerate, the fine colour of the stones being 

 doubtless due to the ferruginous cement by which they are bound together. This bed 

 is made accessible by the excavation of pits, which measure 4 feet across and about 30 feet 

 in depth, the deepest measuring not more than 50 feet. From these pits extend, in all 

 directions along the agate-bearing bed, horizontal galleries, for distances up to 100 

 yards. The stones found in this bed are usually under a pound in weight, and among 

 them are a few cafs-eyes. Some need to have their fine colour developed by exposure 

 to heat while others already possess it. Part of the material collected is sent in boats 

 to Broach and Cambay, the sites of the principal native lapidary works, part to Europe — 

 principally to Oberstein which it reaches through London — and the rest to China, a 

 considerable amount of Indian chalcedony, especially carnelian, being cut in that 

 country. 



Native lapidaries practice their trade at many places, where suitable rough material is 

 obtained, for example, at Jabalpur, in the Central Provinces (Fig. 33), and at Banda on the 

 Khan, a tributary of the Jumna, in which a large number of pebbles of chalcedony are 

 found. Very important at one time were the lapidary works at Broach, near Baroda, and 

 not far from the mouth of the Narbada river, and at Almadabad a little further to the 

 north. The only lapidary works which are of importance at the present day are those at 

 Cambay, on the gulf of the same name, north of Bombay. Articles worked here are 

 designed and finished in accordance with European, Indian, and Arabian tastes, and together 

 with rough material are exported to these countries. 



The murrhine vases, famous in ancient times, are said to have come from Ulein (or 

 Ouzein), in latitude 23° 10' N. and longitude 74° 14' E. of Greenwich, in this same part of 



