1850.] in Southern and Central India. 295 



February 9th, 1820. — Left Guntoor at five o'clock for Bellumcoondah 

 at dusk, and at the distance of three coss N. W. of Guntoor, I crossed a 

 low range of syenitic greenstone ; the specimen I have preserved presents 

 on one surface a very considerable quantity of hornblende in crystals 

 mixed with a small quantity of felspar, and on the surface some spots 

 much resembling mica. I have now so frequently met with a mineral 

 resembling equally hornblende and mica that I am constrained to think 

 with Mr. Brande that they mutually pass into each other. The range 

 from which I procured my specimen had partly the concentric struc- 

 ture, which distinguishes the granite to the N. and partly a concrete 

 structure ; that being generally at the uppermost part of the rock. At 

 day light on the — 



10th February, 1820. — I arrived at Bellumcondah and prepared 

 immediately to ascend the hill. I took the height of my barometer 

 within 30 feet of the top. The remains of the fort and of the building 

 are of Hindoo architecture ; some of Moghul. The rock is principally 

 composed of a granite containing quartz, felspar and small spots of 

 the substance intermediate between mica and hornblende. In general 

 outline it resembles much those rocks to the northward, such as Coil- 

 kondah, &c. having nearly the same direction, and like them veins 

 and distinct masses of greenstone running through it. I observed at 

 the summit of the hill a very large piece of greenstone, which seemed 

 to have survived the decomposition of the rock in which it was once 

 enclosed, from its greater toughness. The appearances however of 

 the granite were not always the same ; sometimes the felspar became 

 red, and the whole contained a greater quantity of mica ; quartz 

 impregnated with chlorite was sometimes found in veins and detach- 

 ed masses. 



Upon the whole I have no doubt that the granite is of contem- 

 poraneous formation with that to the N. 



At ^ past 2 o'clock I left Bellumcondah travelling at the foot of 

 the granite range for about 4 miles. The plain I then entered fre- 

 quently presented isolated masses of granite, decomposing rapidly, and 

 giving rise to a red siliceous soil which did not appear very productive. 

 On my left to the N. W. I saw the range of Chintapilly characterized 

 by its being crowned with quartz rock or crystalline sandstone. The 

 lower formation seemed continuous with the granite of Bellumcondah, 



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