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16 OUR "SOUTH INDIAN" ESTATE.
the
dynamite magazine; very properly sunk into the hillside in such a
manner that a possible explosion could do but little damage. I should
perhaps say that the caps are kept in store away from the dynamite.
Whilst
examining the magazine, my curiosity was aroused by seeing the corners
of the trench in which the hut was built, covered with a mass of
something black, woolly or hairy—what could it be ? On close
inspection, it proved to be an enormous colony of long-legged spiders,
huddled together in an extraordinary manner. A small stone thrown at
them caused the lot to fall down in masses ; and in a few moments the
whole place was alive with spiders crawling in every direction. They
appeared to be full grown, not recently hatched. I had often before
watched the habits of various species of Indian spiders, but had never
seen so vast a number huddled together as in this case.
In
front of the magazine, a few planks led us across to the face of the
opposite hill, up which we ascend, through scrub and dwarf trees, til]
we arrive at the entrance of No. 1 Tunnel. This is forty-eight feet
below the summit of the hill, where large boulders of quartz form the
outcrop of what is called No. 1 Reef. Forty-eight feet have been driven
east and west at this point.
The direction of a reef, I should here say, is ascertained by observing the line of outcrops on the
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