1845.] across the Peninsula of Southern India. 513 



It is in various stages of disintegration, which has been hastened and 

 modified apparently by the infiltration of water containing carbonate of 

 lime and muriate of soda. The dark hornblende crystals have been con- 

 verted into the green hue of diallage, which passes into a greenish yellow 

 and feuille morte, and other deeper shades of brown. It is reticulated 

 with seams, filled and lined with kunker. I have seen this singular effect 

 produced on the colour of hornblende under similar conditions, in vari- 

 ous parts of Southern India. It is probable, that the green, or greenish 

 yellow- coloured rock, if analysed by the chemist, would afford different 

 results to those yielded by the hornblende rock prior to disintegration. 

 Thus rocks and minerals often decay only to appear in other and often 

 more beautiful combinations. 



The sienitic granite here exhibits great variety in structure and 

 colour, from close-grained to porphyritic : flesh-coloured felspar and light 

 green actynolite occur in veins. 



Bellary. The clusters of rocks on which the fort of Bellary stands, 

 those overlooking the Ball- practice ground, and the Peacock hills in the 

 vicinity are all composed of a crystalline granite containing hornblende 

 in addition to the usual components. The greater proportion of the 

 felspar in this granite is flesh coloured, and imparts a prevailing tinge 

 to the rock. The granite occurs in all its varieties in one mountain 

 mass, compact and porphyritic, red and grey, micaceous and hornblendic. 



The Peacock hills, and the broad- backed rock on which the fort 

 stands, are nearly covered with loose cubiform blocks and rounded 

 masses of granite, which appear as if shot out suddenly on the ground 

 from some enormous cart. Many rise suddenly from the flat plain, like 

 inverted tea cups on the surface of a table. Such is the aspect of most 

 granite masses of S. India. 



Tors and logging stones abound in the Peacock hills and on the 

 cluster near the Ball-practice ground, where occurs that singular pile 

 figured in the XHIth No. of the Journal Royal As. Soc. in the article 

 on the quarrying granites of Egypt and India. Here also is seen, 

 one of those curious piles of calcareous scoriae, attributed by the Hindus 

 to the Racshasas of old.* 



* Vide No. XIII, Journal Royal As. Soc, p. 129, &c. 



