936 Notes, principally Geological, on the [No. 130, 



rivers. Its breadth from bank to bank at Danoor, previous to its junc- 

 tion with the three last streams, as taken by trigonometrical measure- 

 ment by my friend Lieut. Kinkead of the Artillery, and myself, was 

 found to be 1918 feet. The current was running rapidly, carrying the 

 round wicker basket boats, in which we crossed, a considerable distance 

 down the stream, in spite of all the efforts of the boatmen. 



Accumulations of mud, silt, and sand are daily progressing on the 

 banks, entombing the remains of alligators, fish, and fluviatile shells. 

 This river is thought to be richer in gems than any other stream in 

 India. As it flows through the Palnad Circar, diamonds, cat's eyes, 

 onyxes, and calcedonies occur in its alluvium ; also a small portion of 

 gold dust at Paugtoor, in the Nizam's dominions. Near the frontier of 

 the Ceded Districts, beautiful agates are found. Not far from its mouth 

 are some of the diamond mines for which Golconda is celebrated, and 

 at Paugtoor, it abounds with amethystine quartz. 



S. Mahratta Country, After leaving the bed of the Kistnah, the plain 

 [h e m Kfstaa h'\o a "Gur. «i" gradually to the North. On the slope lie 

 dinay* some scattered blocks of a fine grained granite, 



composed of crystals of reddish felspar, quartz, and a black glittering 

 mica in minute plates. The superstratum of soil beyond the alluvium 

 of the river is red and quartzose. Passing in a West by Northerly 

 direction, we reach a long low descent, which slopes gently to the west, 

 to the bed of the Hirri, one of the tributaries to the Kistnah: from 

 this the ground again rises with an almost imperceptible ascent to the 

 west, forming a shallow valley running almost due north. The Hirri 

 river follows its course from Bagwari, flowing southerly to the Kistnah, 

 into which it debouches a little above its junction at Capila Sungum, 

 with the Malpurba. It forms the principal line of drainage of an exten- 

 sive and fertile tract. Our route lay on the left bank of the stream. 

 In the lower, or more southerly part of the valley, a felspathic zone, 

 extending in an easterly direction and several miles broad, is crossed. 

 This rock varies in lithological character, in some places assuming 

 the form of a pegmatite, at others that of a protogine, being combined 

 with quartz and chlorite. A few loose and imbedded blocks of a granite, 

 similar to that found on the north bank of the Kistnah occur, rarely 

 without rising to any considerable height above the surface. The 

 felspathic rock observed in sections presented by the deep nullahs run- 



