CHAP. I.] COKAL. 19 



The tertiary rocks which form such remarkable 

 features in the geology of other countries are almost 

 unknown in Ceylon ; and the " clay-slate, silurian, old red 

 sandstone, carboniferous, new red sandstone, oolitic, and 

 cretaceous systems " have not as yet been recognised in 

 any part of the island. 1 Crystalline limestone in some 

 places overlies the gneiss, and is worked for oeconomical 

 purposes in the mountain districts where it occurs. 2 



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

 Chilaw, breccia is found near the shores, from the 

 agglutination of corallines and shells mixed with sand, 

 and the disintegrated particles of gneiss. These beds 

 present an appearance very closely resembling a similar 

 rock, in which human remains have been found imbed- 

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

 British Museum. 3 Incorporated with them there are 

 minute fragments of sapphires, rubies, and tourmaline, 

 showing that the sand of which the breccia is composed 

 has been washed down by the rivers from the mountain 

 zone. 



NORTHERN 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 their worn surface, the 

 outline of the shells and corallines of which they mainly 

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

 stances, are metalled with the same material; as the 

 only other rock which occurs is a description of loose 



1 Dr. Gardner. I this purpose is industriously collected 



2 In the maritime provinces lime j by the fishermen during the intervals 



for building is obtained by burning 

 the coral and madrepore, which for 



rhen the wind is off shore, 

 3 Dr. Gardner. 



c 2 



