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A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
CHAPTER 
III. 
June 12. 
June 13. 
Face of the 
country. 
powder and ball, on condition of receiving a part of the game. Thg 
birds are killed with the pellet-bow, or caught by hair springes. 
The Chensu possess no domestic animals. 
Zac is produced in several of the neighbouring hills, upon the 
tree called Jala, which seems to be of the same genus with the Shorea 
of Gasrtner, and this is probably not different from the Vatica of 
Linnaeus. The tree js never planted, but grows naturally; and the 
persons who rent the Zac carry the insect from one tree to another. 
The tree grows to a large size ; and there are a great many, on 
which no insects have been put. The Chensu and Woddar are the 
persons who commonly rent it ; but they allege, that they are dis- 
couraged from the employment, by the want of leases for a number 
of years. Stick-lac sells here at three Fanams for the Maund of 40 
Seers, or 9s. 4 jd. a hundred weight. 
13th June. — I went to Magadi , which in our maps is called Ma- 
ghery . This stage was very fatiguing for my cattle; and the road 
passed through a wild but romantic country, which consists of low 
hills, intermixed with little cultivated vallies. The soil of these is 
tolerably good ; and, like the Rdma-giri valley, they are cultivated 
with dry grains only. The higher parts are covered with trees, 
which, owing to the poverty of the soil, are in most places very 
small ; but near Samna-durga, and in a few other parts, the timber 
and Bamboos grow to a good size. The summits of all the ridges 
of hills are bare rocks of the granitic porphyry, and often rise into 
high sharp peaks, or immense masses of naked stone. By far the 
most remarkable of these is occupied by Samna-durga , which the 
army of Lord Cornwallis took by assault ; ever since which time 
it has been deserted. 
Iron mines. On my way I examined some iron forges, of which there are 
many in this hilly tract of country ; and from a man, who employs 
twelve labourers, I procured the following account of the opera- 
tions performed on the ere. The iron is made partly from the 
black sand which is found in the rainy season in the channels of all 
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