BENSIBETTA. 59 



this reef, but it might be worth while to test it so far as this can be 

 done at a small cost, e.g*, by clearing out any old shafts if such can 

 be found on the main reef and by making a few cross-cuts through the 

 reef : for in such an area as this, in which rainfall is small, weathering 

 and decomposition are not likely to extend to any great depth, 

 and it is reasonable to suppose that fresh material will be found at 

 no great distance below the surface. 



The rocks in which the reef occurs consist of crushed chloritic 

 and garnetiferous quartz-sericite schists, pass- 

 ing outwards into highly brecciated and myloni- 

 tic (" trap-shotten ' ) members of the charnockite 



Charnockite and x l 



Dharwars? series. The ridge of Bensibetta is composed of 



a great mass of green, somewhat schistose, quartzite, containing 

 much kyanite and nbrolite, some rutile and green mica (fuchsite). 

 This rock is very characteristic and can be traced northwards from 

 Bensibetta to a prominent hill, Kar£yanbetta, a few mihs east of 

 Bailur : a short distance north of Karayanbetta it occurs in a small 

 hill named Pachikalwdre, where it has apparently been quarried. 

 It has been recorded from this last locality or 



Green quartzite. . . 



from its neighbourhood by Mr. Middlemiss, 

 who mentions it as occurring " 3 miles east-south-east of Bailur.'' 

 He also found an exactly similar rock near Satyamangalam, and 

 it is possible that this occurrence is merely the continuation of the 

 same band. Other rocks, belonging probably to the same series as 

 the schists and quartzite, are light and dark green amphibole schists 

 containing very large quantities of epidote, which mineral is indeed 

 one of the commonest in the rocks found in this area. 



The age of these schistose beds has already been stated by 

 Mr. Middlemiss to be in all probability lower transition or Dharwar, 

 and the occasional occurrence of the quartz-iron-ore schists so typical 

 of the Dharwars favours this assumption. 



The other rocks of the neighbourhood consist, as already stated, 

 of members of the charnockite series, much crushed and brecciated, 

 and some biotite gneiss with chlorite. 



( 59 



