1845.] Notes on the South Mahratta Country, fyc. 291 



dip E. 20° N. direction of strata S. 20° E. The dip frequently varies 

 with the flexures and contortions into which the hypogene schists have 

 been thrown. In one of the highest peaks it appeared qua qua versal ; 

 and near the temple to Kupput Iswara, whence the range derives its 

 name, I found the dip to the S. W. 



An immense dyke of basaltic greenstone emerges from the base 

 of the strata near the point where the range suddenly bifurcates, 

 accompanied, as usual, by large deposits of Kunker, which fill most of 

 the seams and fissures in it and the adjacent rock. Considerable 

 tendency to silicification is observed ; the schists are profusely veined 

 with quartz of different hues, white, pinkish, and diaphanous blue, 

 reddish, smoky and black ; seams and large veins of basanite also 

 occur. 



The Kupput hills are principally composed of hornblende and 

 chloritic schists, gneiss and mica slate ; large interstratified beds of 

 silicious and ferruginous schists, as at Darwar, often forming thin 

 ridges ; seams and thin beds of a crystalline white marble occur ; 

 which, near their junction with the hornblende slate, are often coloured 

 green. On the flanks of the range, at the base, gneiss invaded by gra- 

 nite is seen, both quartzose and felspathic, containing rose-coloured 

 quartz and felspar. Near Dummul the gneiss is often so much 

 weathered as to resemble sandstone ; schorl and actynolite are usu- 

 ally seen in the quartz veins, which intersect it. The dip of the 

 gneiss is nearly vertical at Dummul, in other situations it varies 

 almost to horizontal ; some of the hills are capped with laterite, re- 

 sembling that of Sondoor. The beds of the Dhoni rivulet, which has 

 its rise in these hills, contain gravel and sand, in which gold-dust is 

 found associated with magnetic iron sand, menaccanite, iron ore, grains 

 of platinum, grey carbonate of silver, grey carbonate of copper, &c. Man- 

 ganese is also found in considerable quantities. Tippoo excavated pits 

 for gun-flints, of which I have given a description elsewhere.* Potstone 

 occurs with the talc schist in this vicinity, and is used by the natives in 

 sculpture, for cooking vessels, and for giving a smooth surface. The oc- 

 currence of gold, silver, copper, platinum, and manganese seems to have 

 escaped the observation of Christie, Marshall, and other writers on the 



* Madras Journal of Literature and Science for January 1840, p. 42. 



