308 
INTERESTING NOTES ON PERSIA BY COL. MONTEITH. 
the waters of the same river, at the ferry of 
Polleapoliam, nearly 100 miles S. E. of 
Serlngapatam. This is one among the many 
proofs that gneiss is the universal subjacent 
rock in the table land of Mysore. 
Mounting some of the masses close to the 
outside sallyport, you stand on blocks of a 
beautiful porphyry of red colour. This rock 
cuts the gneiss in the bed of the river in an 
oblique direction N. E. and S. W. across its 
whole breadth, and is seen continued on the 
opposite bank, a little below the northern 
extremity of Wellesley-bridge. 
This porphyry is composed of well de- 
finedcrystals of red felspar, which occa- 
sionally are white, imbedded in a paste of 
compact felspar of the same colour. Be- 
sides these two minerals it contains tour- 
maline, in numerous needle-shaped crystals 
distributed through the rock, without having 
any common direction. The red colour of 
this porphyritic dyke, through the grey of 
the gneiss, points it out even from a distance. 
Among the numerous pieces of rock, scat- 
tered about the western side of the Fort, are 
found some of a stratified rock of a porphy- 
ritic appearance, composed of red felspar, 
imbedding pieces of white quartz, and hav- 
ing thin veins of beautiful pistachio-coloured 
actynolite. 
Just below the southern extremity of Wel- 
lesley-brige, along the right bank of the Cave- 
ry, I noticed an enormous accumulation of a 
friable calcareous tufa, somewhat resembling 
osteocolla, or those calcareous incrustations 
enveloping vegetable substances, when plac- 
ed in the course of waters abounding with 
carbonate of lime. Many pieces were an- 
alogous to the nodular kankar found in 
the plains of India. From what I shall 
mention hereafter, it appears that some of the 
tributary torrents to the Cavery contain a 
good deal of carbonate of lime. 
The hill of Mysore I could not visit, but 
judging from some specimens I have seen 
from it, it is formed of granite composed of 
white and rose coloured quartz, white felspar, 
black mica, and a few garnets.” 
Our author now reaches Nunjengode, 
close to which flows a branch of the Cavery. 
One of the rivulets appears to have its waters 
overcharged with carbonate of lime, which 
is deposited all along its course ; the high 
banks of the torrent are formed of calcareous 
tufa. The deposit is so white, spongy, and 
light, that it might be mistaken for pumice. 
Besides anew kind of kankar, our author 
found, jutting from the soil or loose on 
the surface, large pieces of ancient 
kankar which is very different from the 
modern, being more compact, semi-cry- 
stalline, and sparry in the fracture, and 
concretionary in its structure ; in short, 
very much resembling the ancient fru- 
vertino of Italy. All the blocks along both 
sides of the Cavery, and projecting above the 
water are hornblende rocks, with thick veins of 
quartz, which seem also to be the prevailing 
rock all over the plain. We now arrive at 
Goondlapet. Our author at this place exa- 
mines the different kinds of stones, employ- 
ed in the construction of the buildings. He 
found blocks of a very crystalline sandstone, 
and some of quartz rock ; there are stones of 
a beautiful chloritic porphyry, some of green- 
stone, of gneiss, of granite &c. The only 
rock about the place, in situ, however, is 
the actynolite schist to be seenin the lower 
parts and floor of the ditch. Dr. Benza then 
reaches Goodloor, which stands at the 
commencement of the ascent to the Neil- 
gherries, at the foot of a very high hill of 
the Wynaad group : the blocks about the 
village are sienitic granite. This brings us 
to the end of our author’s first journey, and 
here we must part company for the present, 
under the engagement to accompany him on 
his second excursion at a future opportunity 
Art. IL — Notes on Persia, Tartary, and 
Afghanistan. By Lieut. Col. Mon- 
te it h, K. L. S. Madras Engineers. 
The notes, which we are now about to lay 
before our readers. Colonel Monteith wrote 
at the request of a friend at Madras for whom 
they were intended, and not for publication. 
But such is the lively interest taken in every 
thing connected with the country, which is the 
subject of these pages, that we are satisfied 
the public will be highly gratified that the 
author allowed his intentions to be changed, 
especially when we state that his nineteen 
years’ residence in Persia enabled him to 
become personally acquainted with many of 
the chiefs of their tribes : he had also frequent 
communication with Tartars, and some of 
the Russian Mission to Bokhara. Under 
these circumstances we are sure our readers 
will be anxious to peruse his own inter- 
esting account. 
“ The Caspian provinces, subject to Persia, 
consist of Talish, Ghilon, Mozanderan, and 
Astrabad. The nature of the country, 
character of the people, their language, and 
general appearance, and even the cattle of 
the country, form a strong contrast to the 
other parts of the empire, much more resem- 
bling those of India. 
