Chap. I.] CORAL. 19 



The tertiary rocks wliicli form such remarkable 

 featm^es in the geology of other countries are almost 

 unkno^^^l in Ceylon ; and the " clay-slate, silurian, old 

 red sandstone, carboniferous, new red sandstone, oohtic, 

 and cretaceous systems " have not as yet been recognised 

 in any part of the island.^ Crystalline limestone in 

 some places overhes the gneiss, and is worked for oecono- 

 mical purposes in the mountain districts where it 

 occmrs.^ 



Along the western coast, from Point-de-Galle to 

 Chilaw, breccia is found near the shores, from the 

 agglutination of coraUines and shells mixed with sand, 

 and the disintegrated particles of gneiss. These beds 

 present an appearance very closely resembhng a similar 

 rock, in wliich human remains have been found imbed- 

 ded, at the north-east of Guadaloupe, now in the 

 British Museum.^ Incorporated with them there are 

 minute fragments of sappliires, rubies, and tourmahne, 

 shoAving that the sand of wliich the breccia is composed 

 has been washed down by the rivers from the mountain 

 zone. 



NoRTiiERX Provinces. — Coral Formation. — But the 

 principal scene of the most recent formations is the 

 extreme north of the island, with the adjoining penin- 

 sula of Jaffna. Here the coral rocks abound far above 

 high-water mark, and extend across the island where 

 the land has been gradually upraised, from the eastern 

 to the western shore. The fortifications of Jaffna were 

 built by the Dutch, from blocks of breccia quarried far 

 from the sea, and still exhibit, in then' worn surface, the 

 outhne of the shells and corallines of which tliey mauily 

 consist. The roads, in the absence of more solid sub- 

 stances, are metalled Avith the same material ; as the 

 only other rock which occurs is a loose description of 



^ Dr. Gardner. 



^ In the maritime provinces lime 

 for building is obtained by burning 

 the coral and madrepore, which for 



this piu'pose is industriously collected 

 by the fishermen during the intervals 

 when the wind is off shore. 

 ^ Dr. GardTier. 



