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DIAMONDS.
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These mines are generally by authors referred to under the title
Chennur, or Chinon.
This
is a village near Kadapah town, where there are deserted pits, which
were sunk in gravels, derived from the disintegration of the
Banaganpilly quartzites, and lying below the black cotton soil (or
regur). These have recently been reopened by a Mr. Richardson, of
Madras, who applied to the Collector of Kadapah for permission to work
the mines in 1869, at the favourable rent of 100 rupees per annum. The
result has not been successful, but there are accounts of two diamonds
having formerly come out of this field which were eventually sold for
5,000 and 3,000 rupees each.*
CUNNAPURTEE, OR CONDAPETTA.
This
locality appears to be identical with the Con-dapetta of Captain
Newbold, whose detailed account is, perhaps, of sufficient interest to
be quoted in extenso. He says :f—
At
Condapetta the mines are generally of a square form, and from four to
twelve feet deep. The stratum cut through is of cotton soil, mixed with
small grains of quartz, generally from three to ten feet thick, which
rests immediately on a bed of rolled stones of various sizes, from that
of a paving-stone to a nut, in which the diamonds are found, generally
loose, but sometimes adherent. The stones are mingled with mud and
gravel. The pebbles most commonly met with are ferruginous, gritty, and
schistose sandstones, sandstone conglomerates,
* King, "Records Geological Survey," vol. ii. p. 9; and " Memoirs Geological Survey," vol. viii. p. 106. \J. R. A. S. vol. vii. p. 226.
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