1845.] across the Peninsula of Southern India. 413 



junction line with the granite is approached about six miles E. of 

 Gooly, and the development of quartz is seen on the strange shaped 

 peaks and mural ridges near the granite line. These hills, which form 

 a most rugged and picturesque country, constitute the main and wes- 

 ternmost ridge of which the Gundicotta range just passed is a spur 

 running down into the great plains of Tarputtri and Dhoor, and termi- 

 nating abruptly as we have seen at Cullamulla, a few miles N. of the 

 Travellers' bungalow at Chillumcoor. 



These westernmost ridges instead of following the S. E. direction 

 of the Gundicotta spur at the point of bifurcation between Banganpilly, 

 Owk, Munimudgoo, and Piapully, continue their nearly N. and S. 

 course from the banks of the Tumbuddra near Kurnool by Gooty to the 

 vicinity of Anantapore in the Bellary district, whence they turn Easterly 

 to the S. of Cuddapah, where they join the Eastern Ghauts; thus 

 forming with the "impenetrable unsurveyed" spurs projecting westerly 

 from the Eastern Ghauts along the S. bank of the Tumbuddra, to the 

 North, the most complete basin perhaps in Southern India, embracing 

 the great Regur plains of Cuddapah and Kurnool, and the beds of the 

 Pennaur and its tributaries the Khoond and Chittravati. The Pennaur, 

 which rises near Nundidroog, flowing Southerly from these water- 

 sheds of the elevated plateau of Mysore, is deflected suddenly by the 

 great granitic outburst near Gooty from its farther course Northerly 

 towards the Tumbuddra, which it would have certainly joined had not 

 this rocky barrier compelled its stream to seek an Easterly course through 

 the hilly edges and fertile plains of this sandstone- girt basin, to the 

 Bay of Bengal. This basin and its rocky mountainous fringe, which 

 consists chiefly of the diamond sandstone and limestone, comprehend 

 the richest diamond mines of the former kingdom of Golconda, iron 

 in great abundance, and the richest and almost only mines of galena 

 in Southern India. It is composed for the most part of sandstone con- 

 glomerate, sandstone, arenaceous schists, limestone passing into silici- 

 ous schists and into argillaceous schists, and shales of various shades, 

 reddish brown, chocolate, and pale green prevailing. It was thought 

 by Malcolmson, Heyne and others, that the formation consisted of the 

 limestone underlying a sandstone and conglomerate imbedding the 

 diamond. So far this is the case, but I have discovered on the Eastern* 

 limits from Juggernath S. of Kurnool to Gooty, and at Mudelaity 



