226 



Geology of the Neilgherries. 



No. 12, NEW SERIFS. 



XVI. — Contributions to the Geology and Mineralogy of the Neil- 

 gherry Hills. By Major H. Congreve. 



••' And this our life exempt from public haunt, 

 Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks. 

 Sermons in stones . and good in every thin? " 



Mysore and Xeilgherries. 

 During my hurried journey as an invalid through Mysore to- 

 wards the Hills, my opportunities for Geological observation were 

 necessarily very limited, however I do not hesitate to publish, 

 because in the present state of Geological Science every thing 

 contributing to increase our information must be valuable. 



Ramghur. — About three miles to the eastward of Ramghur, 

 rising from the plain, are a number of white rocks the partial 

 disintegration of which has afforded the surface soil. On exami- 

 nation, these prove to be aggregations of felspar crystals with a 

 few grains of quartz disseminated. 



Sindhuley. —In the undulating configuration of the surface of 

 this part of Mysore, the Geologist at once recognises the metamor- 

 phic formation, the Rocks of which seem to be suspended, as it 

 were, between the distant Primary Hills, A section of the surface 

 in the bank of a nullah discovered strata of Mica slate, Hornblende 

 Gneiss, and common Gneiss. The Micaceous Schist is passing into 

 clay slate ; it contains elongated plates of mica of a greenish color 

 bearing a resemblance to badly pronounced crystals of Pyrophy- 

 lite. Hornblende Gneiss is a rock I have never before met with 

 in this country. It differs from common Gneiss in having small 

 lamince of Hornblende substituted for the plates of mica. 



The soil is a red earth : the degradation of the rocks so far ad- 

 vanced to ruin as to comminute between the fingers : even the 

 quaTtz dispersed over the surface of the country in pebbles and 

 angular fragments, pulverises in like manner. Broken pieces of a 

 greyish conglomerate are also met with. I was unable to ascer- 

 tain the dip of the Strata. 



Goonduepett. — The plain between the Bungalow and the Fort 

 is strewed with fragments of conglomerate and porphyry, The 



