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OBELISK OF A SINGLE STONE AT SERINGAPATAM. 309 



Colonel Wilks, in a subsequent letter, has removed all 

 doubts, as to the abundance of granite in Mysore, by referring 

 to Captain Basil Hall's fine collection, made in India, and 

 which, he says, he had an opportunity of seeing at St Helena, 

 when Captain Hall last returned from India. I shall quote 

 part of that letter. The Colonel says, " That collection, I con- 

 clude, is in Edinburgh, and probably in the geological de- 

 " partment of the Royal Society. Sevagunga" (one of the 

 Mysore droogs,) " is, I think, the most beautiful red granite I 

 " ever saw, and most of the other droogs, — the grey. I am 

 aware, however, that there is a great deal of rock in the 

 " eastern ridge of ghauts, not strictly granite; schorl, I think, 

 " being sometimes added, and sometimes entirely occupying 

 " the place of felspar." 



It seems almost superfluous to add, that granite is equally 

 abundant, in many other districts still farther north. The 

 countries of Hyderabad and Beder are well-known instances. 



Alex. Kennedy. 

 Edinburgh, 1st December 1821. 



London, Thompson's Hotel, Cavendish Square, 

 My dear Sir, 5th September 1821. 



Finding, on my return from the Continent, no replies to my 

 several references, which afforded any positive information, re- 

 garding the obelisk near Seringapatam, and being able to re- 

 cover no memoranda of my own, I proceed to answer your 

 letter, as well as I can, from memory alone. 



Although I anxiously watched the progress of this interest- 

 ing work,. I as anxiously left it to be exclusively Indian j and 

 the design of the obelisk, was the only aid, afforded by any Eu- 

 ropean to the native Workmen* 



The 



