Chap. XLL] 
MYSOREl. 
111"? 
Mysore. 
The earliest mention of manganese in India refers to this State. Dr. 
W. Ainsliei in 1813 says that — 
'(his metal, it is to be presumed, is not common in India, ('aptain Arthur, how- 
ever, informs me that he found it in Mysore, massive, in an indurated ochre, com- 
bined with oxide of iron.' 
Newbold,2 also, refers to the occurrence of manganese-ores in Mysore. 
Ores from this State were exhibited at the 
History. Madras Exhibitions of 1855 and 1857, but even 
then no exact localities for the ores were stated. During the last eight 
years the field work of the Mysore Geological Department, especially of 
Mr. H. K. Slater, has led to the location of a considerable number of 
manganese-ore deposits, noticed in the Records of the Department. 
Several of these have proved to be of economic value, and various com- 
panies hf^ve been formed to work them. The pioneer company was the 
Mysore Manganese Company, Limited, now the New Mysore Manganese 
Company, Limited. As the result of the success of this company and the 
high prices of manganese, there has been a manganese boom in Mysore 
during 190(5 and 1007, leading to the formation of the Peninsular 
Minerals Company of Mysore, Limited, and the Shimoga Manganese 
Company, Limited, and also of numerous small syndicates. Besides 
these, many individuals have obtained concessions for manganese, but 
it seems probable that in many cases the concessions obtained do not 
contain manganese-ore. Further details as to the companies mentioned 
above will be found in Part III of this Memoir, on pages 429 and 430. 
1 am not able to give a full account of the deposits of this State, 
because my personal examination was confined to an eleven days' visit. 
In this time, however, I was able, through the courtesy of the officials 
of the different companies, to see a considerable number of the more 
important of the deposits. 
Generally speaking it may be said that the manganese-ores occur 
either in superficial mas of lateritoid rock, or 
Mode of occi'irence and -j^ lithomarges and decomposed quartzites 
^ underlying this lateritoid. The lateritoid is a 
mixture of iron and manganese-ores, usually more or less cavernous in 
1 ' Materia Medica if Hindoostan,' p. 57. 
2 Had. Jour. Lit. Set., XI, p. 45, (1840) ; Jour. Roy. At. Sac, VII, p. 214, (1843) ; 
Op. tit., VIII, p. 155, (1846). 
