OF THE PENINSULA. 



119 



with the addition of calcareous cement. Pebbles of sandstone, hornstone, 

 quartz, jasper, and flint, with fragments of occasional rocks, epidote, 

 and abundant ferruginous sand constitute the common materials, while 

 both the Kistna and its supplementary streams are extensively connected 

 both with thegangue rock of tlie diamond, and with calcareous tracts. The 

 western facade of the Condapilly range is of granitic gneiss, in which 

 the ordinary ingredients are disposed in compact parallelism, and the 

 strata inclined at an angle of about 75°. A detached mass displayed the 

 intrusion of a vein of hornblende, into which the granitic matter entered 

 in the filamentous form, and fragments of ochry iron ore appeared scat- 

 tered on the surface. A double breach through this and the Beizwarra line 

 of hills, here affords to the Kistna an escape towards the ocean, the farther 

 chasm appearing in the outline of argillaceous summits. Along the north- 

 ern base of the first intersection, the gneiss passes by the gradual demis- 

 sion of mica to quartz rock, and upon the side of Condcq)illy the range 

 presents an aspect essentially different from that of its opposite quarter. 

 The summits were there obtusely moulded, their contours broken or 

 minutely serrated, and marked by projections of rifty cliff : the 

 transverse valleys rare, and deeply channelled by mountain streams. 

 Here the outlines are rounded upon scales of great radii, the fragmented 

 aspect is wanting, and the mountain flanks are projected not in preci- 

 pice or cliff, but in broad smooth convexities, the side shields broken 

 by transverse steppes, and cumbered by dependant verdure. The 

 quartz rock, of quartz and felspar, affords numerous varieties of white, 

 reddish, and purpled hues. It is inclined at an angle somewhat more 

 acute than the subjacent gneiss, while the presence and frequent predo- 

 minance of garnets in the mass extensively modify its characters, and 

 the alamandine or precious g;iruct, variously tinged, and of superior size 

 and beauty, is found abundantly in ihc mountain torrents. The range of 

 Beizwarra rises with soft (uUlinc Ix'yond a succeedini;- ])laiii. It consists 

 of coarse and thickly fissile argiiluccous schist, inclined in texture and 



