390 Notes, chiefly Geological, [No. 173. 



tions are of irregular shape and size, and vary now from five to fifteen 

 feet deep. 



The formation is the shales and schists of the diamond limestone and 

 sandstone, here of a dull greyish-blue, and green hue, argillaceous in 

 character, and veined in all directions by white quartz and chert. 

 These veins are the matrix of the galena and sulphate of barytes. The 

 former new mineral occurs in nests and strings of great brilliancy and 

 purity, but I did not observe any thing like a continuous lode. The 

 sulphate of barytes is in large masses, nodules, and short veins, associ- 

 ated with a dull- green crystallized mineral, calc spar, a white mineral 

 like calamine, iron pyrites, and a faint reddish mineral, sometimes com- 

 pact, and sometimes approaching saccharine in texture ; which, Mr. 

 Piddington, after analysis, has pronounced to be that rare mineral, car- 

 bonate of cerium. The quartz composing these veins is often honey- 

 combed, and its cavities lined with an orange-brown coloured dust, as 

 we see in the vein stuff of European mines. The excavations are over- 

 grown with brushwood, and apparently have long been deserted. They 

 are about six miles east of Gazoopilly, and within a short distance of 

 the principal coast communication of Nellore with the table lands of 

 the ceded districts by the Nundi Cunnama pass ; and the jungles yield a 

 cheap and never- failing supply of fuel ; but until the discovery of a con- 

 tinuous lode, it would hardly be advisable to enter deeply into any 

 mining speculation in those plumbiferous tracts. However, there can 

 be no doubt, that these localities have not yet been fairly tested by 

 European practical skill and experience. 



Buswapur Diamond Mines. — The diamond pits of Buswapur are still 

 nearer to Gazoopilly, extending from about quarter of a mile NW. from 

 the present village of Buswapur, easterly towards the base of the eastern 

 Ghauts, and covering an area of certainly two square miles. They are 

 even more overgrown by jungle than the lead mines, and have evidently 

 been given up at a more ancient date. 



About three-quarters of a mile SE. from the modern Buswapur, near 

 the ruins of the old village, are about twenty other excavations over- 

 grown with thicket, like the rest ; and ten more midway between them 

 and Gazoopilly, a little to the south of the foot-path to the pass. 

 These excavations vary from two and three yards to fifteen yards in 



