1838.] Description of the Valley of Sonduw 147 



slate, which being of the lowerrock once formed most probably part 

 of the bed of an ancient and higher channel. 



On the banks of the stream a conglomerate is now in progress of 

 formation, being composed of the rounded pebbles of its bed cemented 

 together by carbonate of lime, deposited by the stream, sand, and oxide 

 of iron. I could trace no continuation of the rocks across the bed of 

 the stream to indicate the work of watery erosion ; moreover the silt, 

 sand, and gravel of its bed would have hid the fissure, if any, beneath 

 the surface. I scaled both rocks, to ascertain whether there were any 

 traces of gravel, or other marks of the passage of water on the surface 

 of the rocks, but none were discoverable. The fragments on the con- 

 trary were all angular. The general direction of the break across the 

 chain, as taken from the summit of the northern rock, is S. 60 ^ W. or 

 nearly at right angles with that of elevation. That of the longer val- 

 leys follows the line of elevation, being S. 50o E. The lamioiE of the 

 rock are greatly inclined, dipping at an angle of 67° S. 45 W. Theii* 

 direction follows the line of elevation in contorted and waving lines. 

 The joints dip slightly to the east. A blistery hematite is found lin- 

 ing parts of the sides of the joints, containing small hexangular crystals 

 of quartz, with drusy crystals covering the surface. 



The mineral character of the rock at this part of the pass resembles 

 that forming the crest of the ridge leading up to the copper mountain 

 near Bellary, being a jaspery clay highly impregnated with iron, oc- 

 curring in alternate laminee with a cherty quartz, imbedding red striped 

 Jasper in rhomboidal and curved fragments and contorted veins, nests 

 of decaying felspar and vesicular iron ore. Numerous tubular and cel- 

 lular cavities are seen in the western surface of the rock on the north 



' of the stream. After passing another rocky barrier of apparently dis- 

 rupted rock the vale of Sondur is entered—following the course of the 

 stream the valley is crossed to the pass leading through the opposite 



' lange called the Oblagundi. 



Oblagundi or Western Pass.— "By this pass the stream enters the 

 valley from the westward. The rock composing the ridge of hills is 

 similar in character to that already described on the eastern flank of 

 the valley, and the fissure through it has a similar direction to that 

 just described. The course of the stream indicates the fall of ground 

 to be to the eastward. In the gorge of the pass, to the left of the 

 barrier gate, in rear of the small white temple to Narsingha, the rocks 

 rise precipitously to the apparent height of 180 feet on each side the 

 Stream, being about 10 paces asunder at the base, but gradually nearing- 



