The Punapoya, or Golden River, rises in the Paral Mallah N.H. of Mokurty, forming part of the main chain of the Neilgherries. The Puna poya descends the mountains between Alliampully and the Carcur Cherum, and long before its for mation with the Carambye it receives both the Kellakumpoya and Caracoopoya.
In the Nellumbur valley the washings are in numerable ; the principal, however, are in the thickest part of the jungle immediately under the Wynad Hills, and near the villages belonging to the Tirupaad of Nellumbur.
In 2Ifysore there is an auriferous tract near Baitmangalam, at the base of the Baterine Hills. Lieut. Warren of II.M. 33d Regiment, in 1802, found it in the small nullahs or ruts or breaks in the ground at Warrigum, a small village 4f miles S.W. of Ilaitmangalum, also on the banks of the Palar river, and the Ponian near Caargory; and also at Ifarcupium, 3 miles south of Warrigum, where mines were worked by natives which had also been worked by Tipu. Ileyne likewise (p. 41) stated that gold had been found near the hills to the S.E. of Ooscottah. Betwixt Annicul and Punganore it was found disseminatod in quartz, and also in the alluvial soiL Southern Itrahratta Country.—About the year 1840, Captain Newbold (p. 44, vol. xi. of the Madra.s Lit. Journal) reported gold washings in the bed of a rivulet at Sattoor, a few miles from Dhoni, in the Kuppatgode range of hills near Damul ; also in the sands of the Hurt; rivulet, in the &une range, a few miles to the south of Gud duk ; and in the Kir taluk of tho Dharwar col lectorate, near Chik Ifulgund. He also obtained a small button of silver from the auriferous ore collected in tho sands near Dhoni, and a grey silver ore in a fragment of quartz. Subsequently, in 1852, Captain Ayton and Mr. Le Souef examined the auriferous tract of tbe Kuppatgedo Hills, and reported that it occurs in a broad band. of chloritic hornblende, argillaceous and hematitic schists, between two stony bands of granitoid gneiss ; and native gold-washers after the monsoon wash the heavy deposits of crushed quartz (detritus) which the rains bring down.
In the Ceded Districts, black sand mixed with the gold is found in the bed of the river at the village of Canahally, near Bellary. Gold is men tioned as occurring at Suttangul. Heyne, p. 342 of his Tracts, describes it as having been discovered near Royacottah, not far from Pangam pilly, near Hurrydrug. Also a nullah takes its
rise about a cos from Bavehully taluk, a hamlet of Mydur, in the Harpunhully taluk, at a hill called Jageracullygoodda ; and there is also another nullah, called Sheghahulla, rising in the same hill, and running into the Baegaly tank, where gold sand was formerly washed, but a man cannot procure more gold than will pay him for his day's labour.
In the Hyderabad Territories, gold occurs at Goodaloor or Godalore, on the Godavery. Dr. Walker (p. 184, vol. xvi. of Madras Lit. Soc. Jour.) mentions its occurrence where the Ramgher and Cummumet Circars meet, and also in several nullahs that feed the Godavery from the south. It is washed for also in the bed of the river nearly opposite Marrigudum, in the Nuggur taluk, also where the Kinarsani nullah falls into the Godavery a little below Badrachellum.
Northern Circars.—Gold washing is carried on at Sumbulpur and Cuttack, and also iu the beds of the Mahanadi and its affluents. The natives obtain a little gold by washing in the streams near Vizagapatam, in the Suvarna Rika or stream of the golden sands, the Lanji, the Godavery, and some parts of the bed of the Kistna.
In the Central Provinces gold-dust is found in the beds of rivers at Purnalia, Chutia Nagpur, in the beds of rivers in Manbhum and Palamow, and in the Paiqdhur nullah, in the Seoni district. The little stream rises in the Konye range of hills, and falls into the Wain-Ganga. The natives say they never get more than four annas' worth by a day's work, and would consider it unlucky if they did, as the goddess who is supposed to make it would then leave their locality. It is found in the Balaghat, being washed in the Deo and Sone rivers, in the Sonbera nullah near the Panchera Ghat in the Dhansua pargana, and in the Nara river of the Mau tract, but the quantity obtainable scarcely repays the labourers. It is also washed in the sands of the Banjar river, an affluent of the Nerbadda ; likewise in Bastar from the sands of the Kutri river, and towards Prattapur, and in the forks of the Kutri and Indravati rivers ; also in some of the nullahs of the Chanda district ; and diamonds and rubies were formerly obtained near Wairagurh.