168 



Account of tJie Gold Mines 



[No. 3sr, 



of the Ernaad Talook, bounded on the east by the A'\'ilffherries, on 

 the north by Wynaad^ on the north-west by a lateral range running- 

 south from the Ghauts called the Wawoot Hills, and on the south by 

 the Koondah and Mookoorty mountains. From these on all sides 

 innumerable mountain streams descend, and uniting near J\^ela7n- 

 boor form the Beypoor river of considerable magnitude, which falls 

 into the sea about eight miles to the southward of Calicut. The 

 names of the different streams are particularized in a valuable paper 

 on the gold mines by Mr. Sheffield. In the mountainous district of 

 Wynaad, streams in the same manner descend through every valley 

 and unite into large rivers which fall into the Cavery in the Mysore 

 and Cohnhatore countries. The whole of the mountains above men- 

 tioned seem to be of primitive formation. In the Nelamboor valley, 

 so far as the observations of the Committee went, the prevailing rock 

 is Guciss, a kind of stratified granite. Above this in most places, is 

 a species of clay-iron-stone, which from its softness, enabling it to 

 be cut into the form of bricks for building, received from Dr. Bucha- 

 nan the name of Laterite. It is what Geologists call the overlying 

 rock of the whole country between the Ghauts and the sea to the 

 westward, and many of the smaller hills are entirely formed of it. 



*' When fresh dug it is perfectly sectile, but on exposure to the 

 heat of the sun, and to the weather it becomes of considerable hard- 

 ness. So far as the gold mines are concerned, it may be considered 

 to be a deposit formed in the lapse of ages, from the gradual disin- 

 tegration of the immense mountain masses in the neighbourhood ; in 

 which process part of the precious ore may be supposed to have been 

 washed down along v/ith the earthy particles. However this may be, 

 it is certain that gold exists more or less abundantly in the whole of 

 the country on the western side of the Ghauts in every stream 

 which takes its rise from the Koundah, NeiJgherry and Wynaad 

 mountains, and in the sands of the sea shore along the whole 

 of South Malabai\ It is throughout in the form of minute grains. 

 One of the persons examined states that he had once or twice seen a 

 piece as heavy as a gold fanam (about the part of an ounce 

 Troy), but in all the specimens examined by the Committee, the por- 

 tions were infinitely smaller. 



" The most complete list of the places where gold mines have been 

 opened, which has been furnished to the Committee is the following, 

 distinguishing those which are situated in hills and those in the beds 

 of rivers which latter form by far the largest proportion. 



"Table of Places luMalabar in which Gold mines have been opened : 



