648 Notes, chiefly Geological, [No. 165. 



bamboo flourishes in great luxuriance. A deep ravine, forming a nullah 

 bed, affords a convenient shelter for the wild beasts which infest it. 

 Not far from the place where we crossed, I observed a capacious tiger- 

 trap. The place has been nearly deserted since it was stormed by 

 Lord Cornwallis in 1791, from the deadliness, it is said, of the climate ; 

 caused most probably by the decayed vegetation of the surrounding 

 jungles. It is said that the clumps of bamboos were planted purposely 

 to render the place as unapproachable as possible ; but the bamboo, 

 from the nature of its growth, is a tree little likely to be selected by 

 natives for this purpose. 



I ascended the rock from the north-east side. The major axis of the 

 mass runs nearly east and west, and is crossed at right angles by a pro- 

 found fissure which cleaves the rock from summit to base into two 

 distinct portions, both fortified, so as to be independent of the lower 

 fort, which is extremely extensive, and vulnerable at many points. 

 After the breaching of this outer wall the garrison, panic- struck, fled to 

 the citadel, or Bala Hissar, on the summit of the western rock, which 

 was deemed impregnable : but the troops in the heat of the pursuit, 

 entered the gates with them, and in one hour gained possession of the 

 place. The assault was made from the N. E. side. Tippoo, after the peace 

 in 1792, regained possession, and added considerably to the lower works 

 in the construction of batteries commanding the former line of attack, 

 one of which goes by his name ; another by that of Hyder, while a third 

 is expressively styled the Shaitan, or Devil, battery. 



The western rock, called by natives " Billaye," from the light colour 

 of its surface, which I found was caused by a species of lichen, ter- 

 minates to the westward in a lofty precipice, down which many of the 

 terrified garrison threw themselves. On it stand the ruins of Tippoo's 

 mosque, a powder magazine, and a few other buildings. 



The western rock is called Kari t from its dark rusty aspect, caused 

 by the weathering of its surface, and the oxidation of the iron in its 

 mica and hornblende. Why the whole rock should be called Subarna, or 

 Golden, the native guides could not inform me. It is entirely composed 

 of a granite, which from small grained may be seen passing into the 

 large grained and porphyritic varieties. Some of the crystals of reddish 

 felspar on Kari durga, were nearly two inches long, imbedded in small 

 grained reddish granite. 



