1840.] 



from the Peninsula of India. 



23 



the Southern Mahratta Counti-y may be regarded with some interest, as 

 indicative, if not of the existence of coal, at least of the age of the for- 

 mation. Alum, we are told by Dr. Davy, exists in certain caves in the 

 interior of Ceylon. Mr. Elphinstone states that it exists in the clay of 

 Calabaiigh in Cabul, and according to Captain Macdonald Kinneir it is 

 found in the mountains south of Kelat, in the province of Mekran. It is 

 also brought in considerable quantities from the mountains of Nepaul, 

 where according to Mr. Campbell, it is said to exude from the surface of 

 soft rocks, and sometimes to be dug out of their substance ; from these 

 sources it is collected in considerable quantities, during the cold and dry 

 seasons, and carried by the Bhoteahs, Murm's, and other hill people, to 

 Katmandu, to be exchanged with the merchants of that city for money 

 or other articles. Mr. Campbell also informs us that there is a dark 

 bituminous substance, used in Nepaul, said to be exuded from rocks ; 

 which is called black alum or salajit : it resembles, in external character, 

 the bituminous alum ore which is said to be found in Sweden, and in 

 many coal mines in England, but there is much vegetable matter in it, 

 although the Nepaul physicians believe it to be a mineral. Alum also 

 exists in Behar, where it was discovered by Dr. Buchanan, and also in the 

 Vindhya mountains, but the great bulk of this valuable mineral, which is 

 used extensively by the natives of India in medicine and the arts, is 

 imported from China. 



4G.— Secondary trap of Christie, from the vicinity of Belgaum — vesi- 

 cular. 



47. — Amygdaloid (same locality) imbedding zeolite and calc-spar. A 

 more compact variety occurs imbedding nodules of calcedony. This 

 rock escaped the observation of Christie, who states he never saw the 

 amygdaloid in sitii. 



48. — Lateritic conglomerate, capping slate and limestone of KuUad- 

 ghee. 



49. — Laterite of Beder — Nizam's territory. 



50. — Variety do,, exhibiting interior of tubular sinuous cavities, having 

 a greyish ^reen indurated enduit. 



51. — Variety do. do. compact — Beder. 



52. — Do. do. near the line of contact with floetz trap — Beder. 



53. — Do. do. with a somewhat cancellar structure — Beder. 



54. — Indurated lithomarge bed, between laterite and trap— often calcare- 

 ous— Beder. 



55. — Variety of laterite with cavities filled withVhite lithomargic earth 

 —Beder. 



56. — Purple lithomarge in laterite of Beder. 



