1845.] from Pondicherry to Beypoor. 763 



localities running round spheroidal masses in its substance, which do 

 not partake of the laminal structure, and have just the appearance 

 of knots in layers of wood. These spheroids when broken have the 

 structure and composition of true grantic, and were probably boulders, 

 or fragments of granite, embedded in the gneiss prior to its passing 

 into the metamorphic state, when it was first formed as an aqueous 

 deposit ; a few dykes of basaltic greenstone now rear their black crests 

 above the surface. 



Chinna Salem is a large village in the South Arcot district, near its 

 boundary on the West by Salem. The inhabitants are mostly engaged 

 in agriculture and the weaving of cotton cloths. It was formerly under 

 a Poligar, whose descendants are still in existence. Some of the wells 

 are brackish. 



Ahtoor.-— The Arcot frontier is crossed into the Salem district, 

 between the villages of Royapanoor and Nuttakara (about six miles 

 westerly from Chinna Salem), to Ahtoor, which is about twenty-one 

 miles distant. 



Around Ahtoor gneiss is prevalent, penetrated by granitic veins, 

 and also by dykes of basaltic greenstone ; one of which crosses the bed 

 of the river in a SSW. direction. The hornblende of the gneiss is 

 often replaced by the magnetic oxide of iron in thin regular layers, 

 alternating with the felspar and quartz of the gneiss. It also occurs 

 in beautiful octahedral crystals with polarity. The exterior planes of 

 the crystals have often a bright silvery appearance from lamella of 

 mica. Their specific gravity is estimated so high as 5° 13' at a tempe- 

 rature of 60°. The ore is also found in steel-coloured grains, and nests 

 disseminated in the more quartzy beds of gneiss. This is the rich iron 

 ore employed in the smelting establishment at Porto Novo. First 

 rate Wootz is manufactured from it. It is also used by the native 

 smelters, who informed me that the best sort of ore is got from two 

 hills about one and two koss distant to the SSW. of the village, which 

 they say are full of the ore, and are called Callurchan and Moora- 

 gutta Mullaye. The natives here employ a mixture of black magnetic 

 sand from the Nullah beds with the steel grey magnetic oxide in the 

 manufacture of steel. The native furnaces rarely produce more than 

 from four to six maunds of iron per diem, which sells on the spot for 

 one rupee or less per maund. The steel and iron of Nagrepetta is 



