40S 



Geology of Bangalore, ami of 



[Jan. 



proceeding to the bottom of the Neilgherries, and then turn off at My- 

 sore in the direction of Coorg. The Kiiigaree road has in some measure 

 been before described, granite and gneiss rocks, with several trap 

 d3kes, and much basalt and basaltic (rap. About half way horn- 

 blende slate in large beds is very abundant, and the country very 

 bleak, and only very slightly cultivated— soil stony and unproduc- 

 tive. Between Biddidy and Closepett the country is wooded, very 

 little cultivation and much pasture land; as we approach the last 

 mentioned place the masses of rock near the roadside are of porphy- 

 rilic granite, the felspar of a light flesh colour. Closepett, or Ram- 

 giri in the native dialect, has a most picturesque locality in a valley 

 close to the Arkawutly river, enclosed on two sides by hills of consi- 

 derable height. There is much dense jungle around, and the rocky 

 hills, shaped like Martello towers or bastions, rise up from amidst the 

 jungle. The porphyritic character of the rock is here better marked 

 than in the Severndroog direction, for these belong to the same range. 

 The country immediately on the other side of Closepett is still wooded, 

 but the hills are of much less elevation, and have lost the porphyritic 

 character. To the north of the road there is gneiss, full of garnets of 

 various sizes, strata of the rock running about north and south; and on 

 the road, and bordering it, are detached specimens of a heavy ferru- 

 ginous looking stone, consisting seemingly of quartz and hornblende. 



About half way towards Chinepatam, there is a temple dedicated to 

 Hanuman, the very wonderful monkey god, who with chivalry for dis- 

 tressed damsels perfectly quixotic, led an army over to Ceylon, and de- 

 livered from thraldom a beautiful princess. Near this temple are some red 

 rocks, looking at the distance like ant hills. This is the red granite of 

 Buchanan, and has before been described — it chiefly consists of red fels- 

 par of a very clayey aspect. A little way beyond this the hills recede, 

 the country opens, and a flat cultivated plain extends on the right, some 

 jungly hills still on the left. The principal rock around Chinepatam is 

 gneiss, but different from the rock round Bangalore, here it is red in- 

 stead of grey. Around Bangalore the quantity of black mica, with the 

 white felspar and quartz, gives the rock a grey appearance, but here the 

 specimens are beautifal from the quantity of red felspar in patches, 

 veins and streaks. The country continues open, much w^et cultivated 

 ground for some miles, succeeded by open plains covered with small 

 bushes, chiefly the cassia auriculata, which is very common and used for 

 tanning — very few stones or rocks on or near the road, and those con- 

 taining red felspar with small garnets. Further on the road becomes 

 very sandy, the soil showing a saline impregnation, and topes of toddy 

 trees cover the country. In the river Madoor, which, as usual with most 



