76 KING : NELL0RE PORTION OF THE CARNATIC* 



west as Gondlapoliem. At the Toolypoliem end, the ridges become 

 separated by grassy bays which tail in from the south, and about 

 here are many instances of palmyras being half -buried in the sand. 

 In the neighbourhood of Strinavasarow Chatram at the mouth of the 

 Swarnamukhi, the sandhills are again very distinct and well marked, 

 but are more separated from each other than those of Toolypoliem. There, 

 the dunes run up to 18 or 20 feet in height, having generally a south- 

 south-west to north-north-east strike, and they stretch a good way inland, 

 often half-burying the palmyra palms. 



The narrow northern spit of Sriharikota is marked by long dunes 

 along the Pulicat shore line, this part of the island being compara- 

 tively free from jungle, except on the lake side, where the sand has been 

 piled up. The ridges are all striking north-north-west to south-south- 

 east, a change from the usual lie, which is perhaps due to the trend of 

 the coast, here fully exposed to the north-east winds, while much of the 

 sand is sheltered from the southerly winds by the thick and high jungle 

 of the wider part of the island. The highest ridges, from 30 to 40 feet, 

 occur between Sholinduru and Celindar Chattram, and they seem to be 

 only prevented from overwhelming the village of Sholinduru by the 

 large tree jungle close by, many of the trees and shrubs of which are 

 half-buried already. For the rest of Sriharikota, the belt of sandhills 

 widens out much, and is at times run into distinct and well-formed ridges, 

 having the north-north-west to south-south-east direction, and often 

 running up to 15 and 30 feet in height. East of Titupetta, about half- 

 way to the shore, the dunes are, some of them, about 30 feet high, run- 

 ning along the coast in the usual north-north-west to south-south-east 

 direction. These hills are topped with scrub jungle and have their steep 

 slope still to the west. 



( 184 ) 



