Chap. L] historical summary. 11 



of rocks associated with the Cretaceous series of the Carnatic, concerning 



^ , . , , which various and conflicting opinions have 



Tree-beanng saiidstoncs ° ^ 



of Trivicaiy, &c. ^^^^^ p^^ forward by different observers. These 



beds consisting of ferruginous sandstones, which occasionally contain 



fossil wood but are almost without any trace of other organic remains, 



occur in patches of variable extent in several parts of the district. 



Their occurrence at Trivicary near Pondi cherry was noticed in 



Captain Warren 1810. ^^lO by Captain J. Warren,* and in 1840, by 

 Mr. Kaye 1840. jy^^. j^^yg ^^ ]^jg p^pg^, -^^ ^^le Madras Journal 



already cited, and he speaks of the siliciiied wood, which there occurs 



in unusual abundance, as well known to the public. Both in this 



paper and in his subsequent notices, pubHshed in the Proceedings 



and Journal of the Geological Society, he leaves the question of 



the Geological relations of the Trivicary beds to the Cretaceous rocks 



undecided, merely describing their topographical position to the West 



of the latter, and the occurrence of very similar beds, forming the 



little plateau known as the Red Hills, on the Eastern boundary of 



the same rocks. He suggests indeed that the Red Hills " may be 



a continuation of the Trivicary beds," in which case, he remarks, "it is 



evident that the lime-stone rests upon a basin or depression of the 



red sand," a deduction which would, however, only be true, if by the term 



continuation we understand actual unbroken continuity. He evidently 



does not contemplate the true state of the case as afterwards made out 



by Captain Newbold, viz., that the Bed Hills and the Trivicary beds 



are portions of a set of beds originally continuous, and now isolated 



by the denudation which laid bare the underlying Cretaceous rocks. 



Captain Newboldf who, by his assiduous obser- 

 Cap tain Newbold, 1845. . • n • • ^^ ,_• 



vation, while marching rapidly in various directions 



across the Peninsula, has done so much for the Geology of this part of 



* Asiatic Eesearches, Vol. XI., p. 1, with a Plate. 



t Journal Asiatic Society, Bengal — Vol. XIV., page 759. 



