IN SOUTHERN INDIA. 



301 



Karnul. Furthermore, in proceeding direct from Golconda 

 to Masulipatam rid Coulour, Tavernier was certainly not 

 likely to go round rid Karnul and Ramalkota, a tremendous 

 detour, which would have taken him through what is yet a 

 very wild and pathless country. Again, there are certainly 

 no diamond pits anywhere in the plain between Karnul and 

 Jagarnat Konda, which hill can certainly not be looked upon 

 as a high nor obviously cruciform mountain. The only real 

 difficulty with regard to Kollur appears to be in the fact 

 that the place is not near any large town. But it is quite 

 conceivable that a large town existed temporarily during 

 the period of mining prosperity and afterwards decayed and 

 disappeared. The immense population of miners mentioned 

 by Tavernier, " about 60,000/' would of themselves alone 

 form a very large town for South India and one of a class 

 whose poor and fragile tenements would after very few years' 

 leave no recognizable traces. 



Beside the diamond rocks the Karnul formation shows 

 little Of special interest. Some beginning has been made to 

 utilize the admirably useful limestones which occur so largely 

 throughout the formation. Many of the structures, both of 

 the Madras Railway (North-West Line) and of the Madras 

 Irrigation Company, are built of the Narji or Koilkuntla 

 limestones. The Palnad limestones have of late been neg- 

 lected, though many beds would furnish marbles of various 

 colors 'and of great beauty. Their eminent suitability for 

 decorative purposes had been fully appreciated by the old 

 Buddhists, who built the exquisitely- carved railings and 

 gateways to the great " Tope " at Amaravati. Now that 

 Madras is connected with the Kistna river by the East Coast 

 Canal, these beautiful marbles could easily be carried down, 

 and all but a very few miles by water. The rapids of the 

 Kistna lying between Bezvada and the Pondigole ford, where 

 the old Madras-Hyderabad road crosses the river, are so 



