buchanan’s journey through

710

fides of the quarry, run nearly north and fouth, and are much inclined to the plane ofthe horizon. Thefe ftrata confift of a bad kind of thepratima cullu, which crumblesinto irregular maffes, and is difpofed alternately with thofe of fchiftofe mica, inter-mixed with parallel layers of pot-ftone. All theio ftrata are in a ftate of decay. Ihave little doubt, but that the quarry itfelf is difpofed in a ftratum parallel to the others;but thicker, more compact, and lefs decayed. Lying round the quarry were manyhalf-formed images. The largeft that I faw was about eight feet long, three broad,and one and a half thick; but by digging deeper, larger maffes might probably beprocured. It is an indurated pot-ftone, or rather a pot-ftone intimately united withhornblende, and is capable of a fine polilh. It approaches very near to the hornblendeof Hyder’s monument, butisfofter.

Near Maru-Hully alfo, there is a quarry of fila, or image-ftone. The mafs of rockis larger than that of Arfina-Caray, and has lately been wrought for the buildingsthat are now ere&ing at Myfore. Although it has been laid bare to a confiderableextent, nothing ftratified can be obferved. The ftone feems to be of a middle nature,between that of Hyder’s monument and the fila of Arfina-Caray, and to contain lefshornblende than the former, but more than the latter. Large blocks may be pro-cured, and perhaps of the whole it is the fineft ftone.

23d September. — In the morning I fet out for Nunjinagodu, diftant three coffes;and I intended, by the way, to vifit a place from whence pot-ftone is dug. Afterhaving gone half way, I difcovered that the guide had deferted me; and, in order toprocure another, I was forced to go back again to Maru-Hully. I found the quarrynot a mile from that place; and was informed, that the ftone-cutter who works it livesthere, although I had in vain folicited the officer of government to procure me a work-man of that kind to break fome fpecimens of the image-ftone. It muft be obferved,that I find more difficulty in acquiring a knowledge of the quarries and forefts, thanof any other fubjecf of my inquiries. On the revenue of the country the natives aremore communicative than I defire; and even in their accounts of the produce of thefields, the cultivators of the land adhere more to the truth than all ranks do, inanfwering queries relative to quarries and forefts. It is evidently fufpecled, that myobject in afking fuch queftions is to find out materialsior public works ; and the nativesare terrified at the thought of being again haraffed with the Corvees, to which in thereign of the Sultan they were cruelly fubje&ed.

The pot-ftone of Maru-Hully is ufed for making pots, diffies, and pencils. Itdiffers from the image-ftone only in containing more earth of magnefia; for it hashornblende as one of its component parts. It is readily fcratched by the nail; butretains an exceffive toughnefs, fo that before it will break into fragments under thehammer, it is reduced to powder. Like thofe of the kindred ftones that have beenalready defcribed, its maffes are irregularly angular. The furrounding ftrata arevertical, and run north and fouth.

At fome diftance from this I crofted the Kapini by a bridge, which is here lookedupon as a prodigy of grandeur; in Europe it would be confidered as a difgrace to thearchitect of the ineaneft town. The arches are about five feet fpan ; the piers are ofnearly an equal thicknefs, and do not prefent an angle to the ftream. The fides of thearches have fcarcely any curvature, but are compofed of two planes, meeting at anacute angle. The parapet is rude, and the whole is compofed of an irregular mixtureof brick and ftone. The pavement confifts of rough and irregular flags, which forma very bad road. The bridge is, however, both long and wide, and is a great conve-nience for foot _paffengers, or merchants conveying their goods on oxen..

26th Sep-