766 
MANGAT^ESR DEPOSITS OF INDIA : DESCRIPTIVE. [PaRT IV : 
The joint pianos of these underlying rocks often show dendritic growths 
of manganese oxide. 
The ore- band itself is of very variable composition. Tt consists of 
(1) hard grey crystalline ore, (2) soft and dirty ores, (3) yellow spessartite- 
rock changing to ore, (4) rhodonite-rock largely changed to manganese- 
ore, and (5) vitreous white and black quaitzites. The proportion of 
good ore is very variable owing to the variable amount of change that 
the rhodonite- and spessartite- rocks have undergone ; indeed it is often 
easy to trace the passage of layers of either spessartite- or rhodonite-rock 
into manganese-ore. In the most northern excavation the rock exposed 
was almost entirely rhodonite-rock partly changed to ore. 
On the low ground to the south of the southern end of the ore-outcrop 
a considerable quantity of loose fragments of ore has been found in the 
clayey soil by means of shUlow excavations. They are snflficiently large 
and angular to indicate the probable extension of the ore-body beneath. 
Talus- ore has i Iso been found on the lower ground to the west of the 
southern part of the ore-outcrop. 
The hard fine-grained grey crystalline ore is composed of the usual 
Nature and quality mixture of braunite and psilomelane. There is also 
of the ores. a more friable variety of similar appearance, probably, 
as at Kandri, owing its more friable character to a smaller amount of the 
cementing psilomelane and a consequent larger proportion of braunite. 
Besides some softer and dirtier ores, there is also a little cavernous 
psilomelane showing mammillated surfaces in cavities. It seems to be 
confined to the surface outcrop, where it occurs as numerous veinlets in 
the rhodonite-rock, manganese-ore, etc. 
This was of a very crude nature in December 1906, and, as so often 
The working of the happens, the waste was being dumped very close 
deposit. to the workings on the dip side, so that it would all 
have to be shifted later on, in order to follow the ore-band down. Owing 
to the hard nature of parts of the ore-band — especially the rhodonite- 
rock and vitreous quartzites — blasting is resorted to, country powder 
being used. Sometimes also large masses of rock are split by burning a 
fire against them and then throwing water on the heated surface. 
The ore extracted has to be carted 4 miles or more over rough cart 
tracks to the main road from Tumsar to Katangi, which is struck at 
Chicholi, 11 miles from Tumsar Road Station. The ore is at present 
(December 1906) carted to Tumsar Road, but may be later carried by the 
