4t KING : NELLORE PORTION OF THE CARNATIC. 



coeoanut and palmyra palms, so characteristic of the Coromandel, is 



here much diminished in breadth and luxuriance, becoming" very narrow 



and poor at the northern end of the area, — a feature which is perhaps 



attributable to some extent to the diminishing' width of the sandy 



deposits of the coast. At all events, the palmyra is in much greater 



force towards the Pulicat lake, where also the belt of sand-hills is 



widest. 



The people are principally Teloogoos, in fact the southern edge of the area 



may be roughly considered as the boundary between 

 The people. 



the Teloogoo and Tamil-speaking races. There is 



also a remnant of an aboriginal race, sometimes called Yanadis, dwelling" 



in and about the island of Sriharikota, where there is a good deal of 



waste jungle-land. Indeed, it is a strange feature of this part of the 



Carnatic that one may here meet, within such close proximity to Madras, 



a tribe of people which still retains some of the manners and customs of 



a very primitive section of the human race, to such an extent that an 



iron arrow-head is treasured by them as a rare thing, the points of their 



wooden arrows are hardened by charring, and they are in the habit of 



obtaining fire by friction of wood, although fire is procurable at villages 



close by. 



Mineral resources are few and far between, but some of these, such as 



the copper ores, have not as yet undergone all the 

 Mineral resources. , .. ,..,.. 



investigation that their indications entitle them 



to. Building-stone from the gneiss is often conveniently situated and 

 of first-rate quality, but that most easily and cheaply worked is the 

 laterite, which came in well for the trunk road, and again in the irriga- 

 tion works on the Penner near Nellore. Some crystalline limestone occurs 

 associated with micaceous and quartzose schists, but it is not suitable for 

 the manufacture of lime, the common kankar or calcareous travertine 

 being the general source for mortar. There is, however, a special store of 

 this material in the seams of sub-fossil shells to be found a short distance 

 inland from the coast back-waters and at a small depth from the 

 surface. 



( 11 a ) 



