652 Notes, chiefly Geological, [No. 165. 



and argillaceous ; and 2nd, hard, white, and siliceous. A deep orange 

 soft substance adhering, marks their value. This substance appears, 

 however, to be superficial, marking the surfaces into which the stone 

 splits on being struck. 



Lieut. Warren noticed that a sort of red earth, generally two feet deep, 

 and succeeded by a white calcareous earth of equal depth, the under 

 stratum of which consisted of large white decayed stones, seldom 

 failed to contain an ample proportion of metal. The average proportion 

 of gold to earth is as one grain of the former to 120 lbs. (avoirdupois) 

 of the latter. 



There can be little doubt that the auriferous black and white stones 

 are fragments from the gneiss, granite and hornblende schist, which 

 base this auriferous tract, and constitute the singular ridge which runs 

 through it in a N. and S. direction, and which may be regarded as 

 having furnished most of the materials of the reddish alluvium on its 

 east and west flanks, and therefore as the true matrix of the gold. The 

 orange- coloured stones I found to be caused by the oxidation of the 

 iron in the mica. 



Lieut. Warren had this alluvium washed and examined in various 

 places throughout the gold tract, and points out as the most promising 

 localities, — the Baterine hill and its vicinity N. of Dasseracotapilly, 

 Corapenhully, Shapoor, Buksagur on the S. bank of the Palaur, five 

 miles E. from Baitmungalum, Wurigaum, in a thick jungle W. of the 

 village, which is situated about ten miles S. W, from Baitmungalum. 



The process of extracting the ore from the stones is simply by pound- 

 ing them, and washing the powder in water : the gold-dust sinks to the 

 bottom. An equal proportionable quantity of gold is extracted from 

 the powdered stones as from the earth. 



The gold-dust obtained yielded on assay at the Company's mint, 

 94 per cent. 



This auriferous range on the table-land of Mysore, may be traced to 

 the eastern ghauts ; southerly, by the hill fort of Tavuneri, to the S. of 

 Caveripatnam mutta in the Amboor valley. Two Passes, however, break 

 its continuity near Tavuneri. 



To the N . it appears to terminate at Dasseracotapilly ; though the 

 line of elevation, taking a gentle easterly curve, may be traced by the 

 outliers of the Baterine hills ; Auminiconda or Awnee, Moolwagle, Coo- 



