^OLIAN EORMATIONS. 97 



covered, and among them the grave of the celebrated Jesuit Missionary, 



Father Besche, who, though an Italian, became so proficient in the Tamil 



language as to write in it poetry of such excellence as to give him a 



high rank among Tamil poets. 



Another important coast dune is that at Tiruchendur, 9 miles to the 



north-north-east, on and against which has been 

 TIruchendur dunes. 



bailt the famous Subramania temple, the most 



important in the district, whose great gopuram is a landmark both by sea 



and land for many miles around. 



The sand-hill rises fully 50 feet above sea level, and has been con- 

 siderably consolidated by infiltration of calciferous water, and at its sea- 

 ward end has been converted into a coarse sandstone of sufiicient stability 

 to form a low but well marked headland which offers some resistance 

 to the action of the surf that breaks at its foot. It has been cut 

 into a steep cliff, at the base of which is exposed a bed of hard gritty 

 sandstone of similar character to that forming the " quay " along the 

 Madura coast as described above. 



The dunes south of TIruchendur for about 3 miles are much higher 

 than usual, but show no signs of consolidation. 



The coast dunes along the Madura coast nowhere attain any great 

 Dunes of the Madura l^eight ; very few, if any, attain an elevation 

 coas*> of 50 feet. The highest noted was the dune on 



the south side of the salt-water lake opposite to Nallatanir Tivu 

 (Nallattume Thevoo). Some large sand-hills occur also to the south 

 of Ervadi (Yervaudy), and to the west of Kila Karai. A great many 

 And of Eameswaram sand-hills occur at Rameswaram island, and in 

 island. fact occupy the greater part of the surface there. 



A great part of them is too much overgrown by trees and shrubs 

 to allow of any appreciable movement, but in the southern part of the 

 island there is a considerable extent of moving sands, while the long 

 spit running out to the south-east is occupied by a double line of hio-h 

 sand-hills which are perfectly bare of vegetation, and therefore subject 

 to the influence of any high wind that blows. 



The highejst point on the island is the great sand-hill north of the 



G ( 97 J 



