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cernible when mixed with the stratum), their answer was, their business being to cultivate the ground, they never troubled themselves to look for gold in the earth, and consequently had never observed it before." I did not hesitate in agreeing with them that they had taken to the most profitable pursuit of the two. Having thus explored the tract near Daseracottapilly, I moved on the 26th to Pedipilly (a small village east of the pass, and about four miles east of Daseracottapilly), and with a view to save a number of useless repetitions, I shall briefly say, that in order to establish the opinion which I had broached respecting the merits of the small hills and red earth above alluded to, I successively examined the whole tract from Baterine to Yerra Baterine Hills, an extent of about twelve miles in length by four in breadth ; during which inquiry I only was disappointed twice on more than thirty experiments, and I remained satisfied that the gold dust was not more peculiar to the tract near Wúrigam and Marcúpam than any where else within two miles on each side of the range of small hills or pass above-mentioned: these places being only noticed in preference by the natives on account of their inhabitants devoting more exclusively their time to the searching for gold than those at any of the surrounding villages.

From Pedipilly to Yerra Baterine Hills, the superior stratum is generally composed of a brown earth, mixed with gravel about two feet deep; it is almost every where succeeded by a sort of grey argillaceous earth, and at some places by a white calcareous earth, when the superior stratum alters to a bright red.

During the three days I halted at Marcúpam, I kept twelve men in constant employment, both to assist me in collecting specimens of the strata, and to extract gold from the stones. Ten of them were employed the first day in digging out stones, and half of the next in pounding them and extracting the metal-the produce of their labour was in weight two grains of gold only.

So small a quantity of metal for so much labour induced me to think that I had not been fairly dealt with; for were these the usual products, it could not possibly be worth these men's while to attend to so unprofitable a trade. I had morever observed that two mines had been sunk since I had last visited Marcúpam, a sure sign that the business was carried on very briskly. The people who devote their time to the searching for gold, are exclusively of the Dheru (or Pariah) caste. The following is their mode of carrying on the work :

When they resolve on sinking a mine, they assemble to the number of about ten or twelve men from different villages. They next proceed in appointing a Duffadar (or head man) among themselves, whose busi

ness is to superintend the work, and to convert the products into money. They then make a purse to purchase a sufficient quantity of lamp oil, and the necessary iron tools. This being done, partly from a prejudice they entertain that the tract over which a peacock has been observed to fly and alight is that of a vein of gold, they fix upon a spot, and then proceed to business.

Having examined the mines near Marcúpam, I proceeded in carrying into execution the plan which I had formed of investigating the stratum about the small hills extending north of Daseracottapilly, and also the banks of the Pal-aur river.

The service having taken me to a different tract from the 1st to the 4th of May, I had no opportunity of making any observation until I arrived at a small village called Nellore on the western bank of the river, one and half mile north of Battamangalam. I turned my attention in the first instance to the banks of the Pal-aur, from the bed of which I obtained a few particles of gold, much the same in point of quantity as what I had found at the second place, which I examined near Baksagur.

Having noticed on the same day a deep rutt in the ground, exhibiting the same sort of red clay as I have formerly described when near the hills, running from west to east towards the river, I thought it offered a good opportunity to establish whether the golden tract extended so far to the eastward; as it would at the same time (in case of success) explain whence came the gold dust found in the river, my experiments proved perfectly satisfactory, and I remained well assured (this impregnated spot lying far beyond any possible overflow of the river) that it did not receive its contents from the stream, but on the contra

ry, supplied it with golden ore. I also formed an opinion that the metal was not more peculiar to the hills than to the whole tract in which they lay, comprehending a space of several miles east and west of them, and extending more particularly to the eastward, somewhat beyond the banks of the Pal-aur river. This induced me to examine the interval between Mútial Ghât and Manigatta Hill, an interval of about eleven miles in extent, through which the range is interrupted, and presenting a tolerably even surface, only encumbered with large granite stones, which bespoke more of iron than of gold.

On the 5th of May, moved to Carapanhelly, near Baterine Hill: on this and the following day, examined successfully the whole of the tract north of the hill. The stratum being at some places of a deepbrown earth, succeeded by a grey argillaceous earth; at others of a red clay, succeeded by white calcareous earth and stones.

On the 7th, moved to Shapúr, examined the ground at several places in the interval; stratum as before; found it everywhere equally impregnated. On the same evening, visited the banks of the river (about two miles east from Shapúr) with equal success, noticed a bed of white calcareous stones (the common under-stratum of the metallic earth) crossing the river from bank to bank where I stood.

On the 8th, moved to Manigatta, close north of which place the range of small hills resumes; found gold at every place which I examined in the interval, but evidently decreasing in point of quantity. Strata as before.

On the 9th, examined the course of the river which crosses the impregnated tract close north of Manigatta, and touches the south extremity of the small hills north of it. Made trial of the soil, and more especially of the highest earth collected at the surface within reach of the stream for upwards of two miles west of the hills, and gave up the pursuit when still obtaining a few particles of gold from the earth taken at random within reach of the course of its water.

On the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th, examined the tract about the Manigatta, Wúllúr and Yeldúr Hills; found it every where (though extremely thinly), impregnated with gold, the upper stratum being generally composed of a deep, brown earth, and succeeded by a livid-fleshcolored calcareous earth at some places, and particularly about Yeldúr, changing to a beautiful pink color.

On the 15th, 16th, and 19th, examined successfully the cluster of small hills which lay east of Randúr Papanpilly. These small eminences terminate, to the northward, the frequently interrupted range which has been the subject of the present investigation, and were the winning goal I had kept in view ever since I began this second inquiry. Having however taken notice of a small hill lying about seven miles due east of these, near Ramasandra, and apparently of the same description; on the 26th I examined the stratum both in the interval and about it, and found the earth every where impregnated with gold: having thus traced it uninterrupted right across this extensive pergunnah, and being precluded of any farther investigation by the chain of large hills which lay north of Ramasandra, and are connected with the eastern ghâts north east of Panganúr.

The country north of the Randúr Papanpilly hills loses altogether its ardent and ungratifying appearance, it exhibits an extensive plain, beautifully variegated with cultivated fields, tanks, and mango groves; a scenery very seldom to be met with near the golden tract, which is almost every where covered with a scanty, unthriving jungle, the soil being supposed by the natives to contain certain foul substances inimi

Nay, at

cal to agriculture. Eager as they seem every where else to avail themselves of the vicinity of rising grounds to construct tanks, here on the contrary, hardly any structure of this sort is to be seem. many places, the ráyats turn by means of artificial water-courses the noxious streams, which during the rainy season descend from those chalky pits, towards their fields, thus unknowingly exemplifying that great common-place of moral philosophy, which teaches us to disdain the hidden and corrupting treasures of the earth, and look to the plough for abundance and prosperity.

Particulars of the mines examined by Lieut. WARREN, in the month of April, 1802.-1st Mine, west of Kembly.

The entrance of this mine is at the level of the tract in which it stands. It is in breadth two feet; in length, four feet; in perpendicular depth, about 30 feet; in extent 50 feet.

The upper stratum is composed of a deep-brown earth to the extent of about 14 feet, (No. 1.) Then succeeds a stratum of grey argillaceous earth, mixed with gravel, about one foot deep, (No. 2.) Next follows a bed of deep-brown earth, similar to that at No. 1, four feet deep, (No. 3,) under this is a stratum of hard grey and yellow clay, four feet deep (No. 4,) where the mine ceases to descend perpendicularly; and an even space is met at this stage, intended as a place of rest.

From this the mine descends at an angle of about 10° from the foot for four feet deeper. It then branches off into two separate galleries, one of which strikes to the southward, and at six feet offset subdivides into two branches, one of which follows the original southerly direction to the extent of 36 feet, the stratum being of a hard whitish argillaceous earth, (No. 6). The other branching off in a south-easterly direction, to an extent of 20 feet, the stratum being the same as at No. 6.

The other principal gallery extends westerly in a straight direction, at present only accessible to 24 feet, where it is encumbered with fallen earth, (the stratum being the same as No. 6, in the two preceding galleries,) in each of which the metallic stones are found.

These stones are generally of a siliceous nature, of a black, changing to deep rust colour, where they seem to decay. A few parallel streaks are observable in them, about which adheres a green and yellow substance, which marks their value to the natives as they search the mines, (No 7.)

N. B. Although this mine appears to have been much searched, it is still very productive, at least in the ideas of the natives.

2nd Mine.

Being the same with that visited by me on the 28th of February.

The entrance of this mine is in a hollow place, about six feet below the level of the surrounding tract, and lies nearly due west of Súrúnpally. It is in breadth two feet; in length, four feet; in perpendicular depth, about 45 feet; in extent, 56 feet.

The upper stratum is composed of a black argillaceous earth, mixed with gravel, about three feet deep, (No. 1.) Then succeeds a stratum of dark-brown earth, mixed with stones, about six feet in extent (No. 2), under this is a bed of hard clay, at some places in black and yellow streaks, in an oblique direction; about four feet deep, (No. 3.) Next follows on the north and west sides a bed of large black stones, of a hard, compact argillaceous nature (No. 4); the stratum on the east and south sides being of the same sort as (No. 2). Next follows a stratum of black earth, mixed with gravel, about four feet in extent (No. 5), where the mine ceases to descend perpendicularly, and where (as in the preceding one) a resting place is found.

The mine then descends at an angle of about 20° from the foot, for 32 feet direct; the stratum being composed of hard black clay (No. 6,) in which are found two sorts of stones. The one similar to that described No. 4, containing in the opinion of the natives no metallic substance whatever. The other being a hard white siliceous stone, about which generally adheres a deep orange soft substance, which marks its value to the miners, and generally appears where the stone splits as it is broken (No. 7).

[The particulars of two other mines differ in no material respect from the preceding; they are accordingly omitted.

In the Madras Literary Gazette for May 10th, 1834, appeared an interesting editorial notice, derived from official documents, of the gold mines in the province of Malabar, the first printed account, as it is stated, of these gold works.

There is also a notice of the same mines in the Mechanic's Magazine for 1834, page 43, which states that although they became known to Mr. DUNCAN, Governor of Bombay, in 1793, they had remained neglected for forty years, until the Madras Government lately issued an order for registering all gold found in the collectorate of Calicut. Surveyors were also deputed to examine the district.

The principal mines examined by the late Dr. WARD, according to his report, were five miles S. W. of Nelambúr: their depth, and the mode of working them, resemble the foregoing description. The produce from 66 lbs. of the earth was about one grain. The African sands sometimes yield as much as 36 in the same quantity. The total quantity extracted per annum does not exceed 750 ounces, or 30,000 rupees value. The mines now worked are Cherankode, Devala, Nelyalam, Ponery, and Pulyode, in the Wynaad district: the rivers Srupumjee, Polwye, and Tirumpaddy rivers in Calicut; Punaur and Malapuram rivers in Kurmenad; Pandalúr and Aliparamb rivers in Nedinganad; Kadalaondy and Parpanangady on the sea shore in Shernad; Kapil, Aripanad, and Tírúmaly Hills in the Ernaad district; besides twenty river works unnecessary to enumerate.-ED.]

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