256 Description of the country between [No. 10, new series. 



3rd. The 3rd portion extends from the foot of reverse slope of 

 the Ghaut for about 26j miles. This is an elevated Plateau 

 averaging about 2,000 feet above the sea, and of an extremely- 

 undulating nature, becoming more so as we proceed until at length 

 the country is a perfect chaos of uplands and valleys. The soil of 

 this country is uniformly red often mixed with gravel, and indurat- 

 ed to such a degree as strongly to resemble laterite, and such be- 

 ing the case, a more favorable soil for road making could not be 

 desired. The nature of the country too offers every facility for 

 making a level road, for this could easily be done by making 

 the line a little longer than the present track, and taking the 

 greatest advantage of the undulations of the ground. The present 

 track runs along the gently sloping shoulder of a hill, then de- 

 scends and crosses a valley, ascends another gentle slope and 

 so on. Generally speaking, the slopes on the present track 

 are so gradual and easy, that perhaps it would scarcely be worth 

 while to deviate from it. The country from the foot of the Ghaut 

 for 15 miles is perfectly bare of wood, and in most places abounds 

 with iron, with which indeed from the 44th to the 47th miles the 

 soil is literally impregnated. There is no iron stone quarry on the 

 road, but there are several places, and in particular the place I 

 have just mentioned where doubtless a quarry might be opened 

 with much advantage. The ore is generally either red hematite or a 

 red earthy oxide of iron. Either of these varieties when pure yield 

 about 70 per cent, of iron, but allowing for existing impurities, 

 it is not probable that this would yield more than 45 to 50 per cent, 

 which is, however, a large per centage, and equal to that derived 

 from the clay iron stones of Great Britain. I could see no trace 

 of lime- stone, and have been told that such is not here met with. 

 The rocks and stones most commonly encountered are of a com- 

 pound and mixed nature, and generally very soft and friable. Their 

 composition appears to be generally a considerable quantity of sand- 

 stone with iron spots intermixed with felspar and mica, the two 

 latter, and particularly the former, generally much decomposed. 

 Granitic rocks seem to be almost entirely absent, but the ground 

 is in several places pretty thickly strewed with compact quartz, or 

 quartzite. Through the centre of every valley is a nullah, often 



