1850.] in Southern and Central India. 2/5 



toms ; the basis pewter, the design whether of flowers or other pattern 

 is chiselled out of the black ground, by an instrument fitted for the 

 purpose, a paper is pressed strongly over it which takes the sharp edges 

 of the design, and this paper is placed on a thin sheet of silver* for the 

 purpose of cutting it into the requisite forms ; these are then inlaid and 

 the edges of the pewter pressed down, so as to enclose the silver com- 

 pletely. 



Sunday, 27th March, 1819. — Temperature of two springs on the 

 N. W. side of Beder 76°, of neighbouring water 73°. I again examined 

 the passage of the basalt into the iron clay. In some places the passage 

 from the almost columnar basalt into nodular, and then into the iron 

 clay is very distinct, on the other hand in other places the basalt appears 

 to pass under it and in some instances forms a causeway in the path, 

 at the side of which rises the iron clay. 



Monday, 28th March, 1819. — I ascended the minaret and had a fine 

 view of the country, the whole to the southward, eastward and west- 

 ward had the appearance of a vast elevated plain ; to the north it termi-> 

 nates in the projecting buttresses of iron clay into the valley through 

 which the Mayna runs and which is ten miles in breadth. 



Tuesday, 29th March, 1819. — From Beder we began immediately to 

 descend to that ground which appeared from the minaret to be an 

 extensive plain ; consisting of numerous elevations and depressions, or a 

 collection of several plains intersected by deep ravines. The whole 

 consisted of iron clay, but on our road to Shelapilly four zones of the 

 black cotton soil intersected our path running due north and south ; 

 the difference was strongly marked. The iron clay soil was almost 

 incapable of cultivation, and the other presenting its usual appearance of 

 fertility. We are at present encamped on one of these zones, having a 

 direction nearly north and south : at the foot of a conical elevation of 

 40 feet, composed entirely of earth from the top, the iron clay is seen 

 on each side at the distance of J of a furlong. Query, is this hill 

 the focus whence this muddy eruption has issued ? One more is 

 visible in the plain about 2 miles distance. The earth at the depth 

 of two or three feet is sufficiently moist to allow it to be made into a 

 ball with the hands. Temperature 5° below the atmosphere. 



* Copper and silver nearly equal parts. 



