1840;] 



Diamond Mines of RamuJacota. 



47 



and Chennimully in Coimbatore, near the Tapoor ghaut, in Salem, and 

 also in Ciittack. 



Diamond Mines of Ramulacota in Kiirnool. — -These mines are si. 

 tuated in the Kurnool territory, about 21 miles south of the city of 

 Kurnool, in the lower part of a large basin-shaped plain, almost 

 surrounded by low hills of sandstone, grit, breccia and pudding, 

 stone, associated with the limestone of Cuddipah. The present ex- 

 cavations occupy but a circumscribed area, of about 1,000 square 

 yards, and are dug in the alluvial soil at the base of the hills. Re- 

 mains of old and exten^^ive mines appear in a low adjacent ridge, com- 

 posed of a dark ferruginous grit and conglomerate, and the rock has 

 all the appearance of having been blasted by gunpowder. Diamonds 

 of a very fine quality are stdd to exist in this conglomerate, but as 

 they are few, and the labour of excavating and blasting the rock great 

 and uncertain, the rock has been quitted for the alluvial soil ; where, 

 though the diamonds are of an inferior quality, they are more nume- 

 rous, and attained witli greater facility; and, with the most common 

 tools, by ordinary native labourers. 



The diamond pit^, though not occupying so large a space of ground 

 are deeper and far more extensive than the celebrated mines in the vici- 

 nity of Cuddapah, at Chinnoor, Avalumpully and Condahpefta. The 

 excavations in th'^ rock resemble those at Banaganpully, and at Muni 

 Mudgoo, north of Gooty. The geognostic position, the alluvial stra- 

 tum of water-worn pebbles and sand, in which the jifiajority of the 

 gems occur, — the chert, quartz, and jasper pebbles composing the 

 puddingstone and breccia, cemented by a dark ferruginous sandstone, 

 — the vicinity of granite and dykes of basaltic greenstone, present the 

 conditions under which I have usually seen this gem appear in the pen- 

 insula. Kunkar is seen, but sparingly. The diamonds which I saw at Ram- 

 ulacota, were of an inferior size, and but few crystallized in the octohe- 

 dral form. They had severally the white, grey, yellow and greenish 

 tints ; but it is said those that occur in the conglomerate, and in a 

 spot close to this rock, are generally of a superiordescription, witha fine 

 roseate tinge. The process of mining and washing, resembles what I 

 have before described, in speaking of the Cuddapah mines. There 

 were about 20 natives engaged in washing the alluvium when I vi- 

 sited the spot, and while I was looking on a small fragment of dia- 

 mond was discovered, which was regarded as a propitious omen. In the 

 dry season, 500 labourers are usually at work, who pay generally a 

 certain sum to the contractors. The latter I wns informed, rented 

 the whole of the mines from the Nabob of Kurnool, for about 750 



