INTRODUCTORY* 5 



Wing a very imperfect one detracts greatly from the value of his obser- 

 vations on the eastern coast. The greater part of the country he shows 

 to be covered by cotton-soil, through which protrude hill ranges of 

 syenite, basalt, gneiss, mica slate and clay slate. 



He failed to recognize the geological distinction of age between the 

 gneiss and overlying rocks. 



The notes which have most reference to our area are those in Tract 

 XIV, which gives " a short description of Buggelconda hill, near Inna- 

 conda, in the Guntur Circar, " a hill which then and since has by many 

 been held to be an extinct Volcanic cone, in some way connected with 

 the frequent earthquake shocks which then and now still agitate the 

 Ongole country. He describes the highly hornblendic rock as a basalt, 

 but in all other respects his description of the hill, in which he could 

 trace no sign of volcanic action, is good. The earthquake shocks seem 

 to have been both more frequent and more severe at the beginning of 

 the century than of late years. 



He disposes also of the idea that Innaconda (Vinukonda) hill is of 

 volcanic origin. 



In Tract IV he talks about minor ranges given off by the Eastern 

 Ghats, " which with very little interruption or variation of their consti- 

 tuents approach the eastern ocean not far from Ongole;" "to these 

 ranges belong several remarkable hills, as the Chicola, 1 celebrated for 

 the frequent earthquakes originating at it and spreading over the 

 country ; and the Ongole hill, which seems to influence the compass in an 

 uncommon degree." 



This statement is perfectly wrong as to the extension of the ranges 

 eastward. No such ranges exist; the different hill ridges which are 

 dotted about are quite unconnected, and in every case have a more or 

 less northerly strike, as shown in the accompanying map ; and owing to 

 this the changes in petrological character are marked and frequent. 

 Dr. Heyne's error is accountable for only by reason of his rapid rate of 



1 ? Chimakurti mountain. 



( 5 ) 



