(}g KING : NELLORE PORTION OF THE CARNATIC. 



Madras into the present area, and so followed them out up to Ramia- 

 patnam without meeting- with any good evidence to show that the group 

 had ceased or become overlapped by another distinct group. Footers separa- 

 tion of the lateritic deposits was certainly later than our survey of this 

 part of the Nellore district ; but even now, after a careful study of my 

 notes then taken, and after having seen the further extension of these 

 sandstones and their lateritic character in the Godavari district, I do not 

 see any fair reason fur altering our opinion regarding the northern end 

 of the Nellore patches. 



Good sections in these Cuddalore sandstones are extremely rare, the 

 higher western edges being rounded off and covered with a ferruginous 

 coatino- • indeed, this surface of the plateaus is always weathered into a 

 lateritic or ferruginous rock for some depth, the true grits and con- 

 o-lomerates showing often the usual lateritic features of tubiform and 

 cellular cavities, scabrous surfaces, and a pellety or pisolitic structure. 

 Well-sections are generally the only ones in which an idea can be obtained 

 of the rocks forming this part of the series. 



The o-eneral character of the area is, that the patches form- 

 in^ the belt are essentially lateritic, with only rare exposures of 

 grits and conglomerates up to Nellore, beyond which point the more 

 arenaceous constitution is prevalent. 



The laterite or more lateritic portion of the plateaus is undoubtedly 

 r mblance to, in detrital, but in two localities where there are flat 

 weathered rocks. topped hills rising over the general level of the 



laterite country, there is strong evidence that their cappings may be of 

 ferruo'inously decomposed gneiss simulating laterite, after the fashion of 

 the lateritoid exposures on the Shevaroys, Nilgiris, or on the West 

 coast at Calicut and on the southern coast of Ceylon. These singular 

 hills are near Rasanur, between the Swarnamukhi and the Sulurpet river, 

 and again at Gurullur, on the left bank of the former river, at some 

 12 miles from the coast. The latter hill is about 150 feet high, and 

 rises out of the surrounding lateritic country, but its slopes are partly of 

 gneiss, while the capping is lateritic. The lateritic character descends 

 these slopes irregularly, and the foliation is continued into the lateritic 

 ( 176 ) 



