116 



Geology of Bangalore, and of 



[Jan. 



many topes of toddy trees — much kunkarious soil, with saline impregna- 

 tion. 



The road to Goondlepett is extremely wide, with magnificent 

 trees, of apparently great antiquity, on each side. The country is flat, 

 but not veiy much cultivated, has the appearance of having been once 

 much under cultivation. On the road ancient kunkar, in rounded masses 

 jutting out of the ground, and blocks of the same kind forming the . 

 bunds of some of the tanks. It is almost a calcareous conglomerate, 

 pieces of quartz, actynolite and hornblende mixed with it, and answers 

 to that described by Colonel CuUen as found at Cuddapali. Goondlepett, 

 a place which some years since was almost depopulated by a visitation 

 of cholera, is situated on an extensive plain ; large nodules of kunkar 

 jutting out of the ground, with small pieces lying about — around the 

 fort and in the ditch much actynolite slate, and much kunkar attached 

 to and connected with it. The stones in the walls of the fort consist 

 chiefly of hornblende slate. There is a very pretty rock of red felspar 

 with actynolite, and another a sort of chloritic porphyry. I found a 

 specimen or two of calcareous spar, or perhaps slate spar. The country 

 towards the Neilgherries, which are only distant about 35 miles, is very 

 flat — the calcareous conglomerate showing itself on the road side, gneiss 

 in a decomposing state, with beds of -hornblende slate and pegmatite — 

 much quartz hornblende slate and kunkar lying on the road. About 4 

 miles from Goondlepett, the jungly tract is entered, which surrounds 

 the bottom of the Neilgherries and renders their approach so dangerous. 



Before reaching the Tippicado river, there is mica slate in one spot on 

 the road, and the granite, or rather gneiss, assumes a tabular shape and 

 slaty appearance, containing much blueish black mica, a tinge of red in 

 the rock. In the Tippicado river, and around, there is much hornblende 

 slate in large tabular masses, like tombstones, fixed in the earth, and 

 inclining a good deal. The road then winds round these immense 

 mountains, the trees larger, but the jungle not apparently very dense. 

 The Segoor Pass, leading up to the Neilgherries, is the shortest, and, 

 under the scientific superintendence of the engineer officers, the best 

 constructed, of all the ghauts. 



. The deep sections in this ghaut show hornblende rock and sienitic 

 granite. Towards the top, a little way above what was the Sapper en- 

 campment, basalt of a black colour is seen passing ijifo the sienitic 

 granite, and the passage from hornblende rock to basalt -distinctly seen. 

 Tn the sections made in forming the road, the sienitic granite and 

 hornblende rock are found in nodules, decomposing in concentric 

 lamiTKE, like the laye rs of an onion. There appears to be more felspar 



