46 



Corundum Mines near Gram in Mysore. 



[Jan. 



near Gokauk ; and in the primary schists of Sondur, and the copper 

 mountain range, in the Ceded Districts. The formation of the Kupput- 

 gode range, near the manganese excavations of Wodoorti, is similar 

 to that of Doni, previously described. 



Fli7it pits. — About two miles southerly from the manganese locality, 

 some excavations were pointed oat to me in the plain, near the base of 

 the opposite range, whence Hyder and Tippo used to sup[)ly their troops 

 in this part of the country with flints. They are of a yellowish brown 

 colour, translucent at the edges, tough, of a jnspery nature, and answer 

 the purpose, it is said, extremely well. There is still an abundant 

 supply. 



The Corundum mines near Gram in Mysore. — The Corundum mines 

 of Golhushully and Kulkairi, lie about seven or eight miles east 

 by north from the fort of Gram. They occur in a bed of talcose 

 slate, associated with mica slate, gneiss, and profosiue ; and con- 

 sist of a series of excavations dug in the plain, varying from two 

 to twelve feet in depth. The corundum is generally found in a 

 gangue composed of white and greenish earth, arising from the de- 

 composition of the adjacent rocks, and associated with ferruginous 

 quartz, a poor brown iron ore, ferruginous earth, chert, a reddish jas- 

 per, schorl and felspar, in one of the excavations, I found a fragment 

 of rock salt, and many of the wells in the vicinity are brtickish The 

 corundum often occurs in amorphous fragments, from the size of a pin's 

 head to that of a turkey's egg. It is not unfrequently seen in hexa- 

 gonal prisms, tapering slighlly to one end. The colour varies from 

 whitish to grey, reddish, and hair-brown. The pieces of corundum are 

 thrown out, cleared and separated by the miners into four classes, viz. 

 the reddish brown, the while, the chips of both, and the refuse. The 

 three first form the articles of commerce ; which, according to niy 

 native informants, are sent down the ghauts to the ports of Mangalore 

 and Tellicherry ; and there sold by the contractors to the Bombay and 

 Arab merchants, at prices from 12 and 15 to 30 rupees the candy, ac- 

 cording to quality. The natives on the spot, in 1837, told me that 

 the mines had not been opened until within the last 8 years, and that 

 the corundum is also found at BurkunhuUy, Kundeo, and Yedgun- 

 kul, in the Chinraipatam division : at Norhik in that of Narsipur, at 

 Deysani Curbonhully, in that of Bannawar, at AppianhuUy, Beygoor, 

 Bannercota, Mundium and Perrauty in Mysore; near Guzehutty 



