OR CUTTACK, 170 



is well worthy of attentive exploration by a Geologist qualified to describe 

 adequately its most striking features and peculiarities. The granitic rocks 

 are here highly indurated and denuded of vegetation, and present a bold 

 and varied outline with- frequent sharp peaks and abrupt craggy faces. They 

 are moreover in many parts curiously intersected by trap veins, which seem 

 to consist chiefly of green stone approaching often to Basalt and Horn- 

 blende rock. In company with these rocks, Talc slate, Mica slate, and 

 Chlorite shist passing into serpentine and potetone, arefound in great abun- 

 dance. -Several of the Ghlorites are scarcely distinguishable from the latter 

 mineral, and are much used under the general denomination of Mugni, for 

 the manufacture of culinary vessels, idols, and sculptured slabs which de- 

 corate the temples and finer edifices of the Uriahs. The granites and 

 gneiss rocks being too hard for the tools of the quarriers in this quarter, and 

 the shists, with the exception of the Chlorite, not being of a description 

 applicable to any useful purposes, the natives have adopted a very summa- 

 ry and comprehensive Geological classification. They stile the Mugni, 

 karma, or useful, and all other rocks they banish into the class of Akarma, 

 or useless, concerning the situation and history of which they are as pro- 

 vokingly indifferent as they are ignorant. Besides the substances above 

 enumerated, a variety of Corundum, or Corufid, is found in the Nilgiri hills, 

 called by the quarriers Site Dhdr, which as the name implies, is used for 

 sharpening their tools ; also steatite, and Meerschaum in the state of a re- 

 markably pure white powder, occur abundantly in Keonjher. The natives 

 know no use for the latter substance, except to form the tika or streaks 

 which particular classes draw on their foreheads. 



Iron is abundantly diffused throughout the whole of the Cuttack hills, in 

 the state chiefly of Pisiform iron ore, earthy red ditto, and Ochryred iron- 

 stone. It is smelted principally in the estates of Dhenkanal, Angol and 

 Moherbeiij. Some of the rivers of Dhenkanal and Keonjher are said to 

 have golden sands, but the report wants confirmation, and 1 have not been. 



able to ascertain the existence of any metal except iron in this province. 



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