﻿PREVIOUS 
  NOTICES. 
  7 
  

  

  as 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  the 
  Red 
  Hills 
  near 
  Madras 
  " 
  by 
  Robert 
  Cole, 
  Esq., 
  

   of 
  the 
  Madras 
  Medical 
  Service. 
  In 
  this 
  paper 
  Mr. 
  Cole 
  proved 
  very 
  

   satisfactorily 
  that 
  the 
  laterite 
  of 
  the 
  Red 
  Hills 
  is 
  conglomeratic 
  and 
  

   of 
  sedimentary 
  origin, 
  therefore 
  neither 
  a 
  rock 
  resulting 
  from 
  decom- 
  

   position 
  of 
  older 
  rocks 
  in 
  situ, 
  like 
  the 
  red 
  lithomargic 
  earth 
  on 
  the 
  

   Nilghiris 
  described 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Benza, 
  nor 
  a 
  trappean 
  rock, 
  nor 
  in 
  any 
  

   way 
  associated 
  with 
  trappean 
  phenomena. 
  After 
  enumerating 
  Ihe 
  

   principal 
  writers 
  who 
  had 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  written 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  

   laterite, 
  Mr. 
  Cole 
  described 
  very 
  correctly 
  the 
  mode 
  of 
  occurrence 
  of 
  

   the 
  laterite 
  at 
  the 
  Red 
  Hills. 
  The 
  vermicular 
  and 
  cellular 
  cavities 
  and 
  

   their 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  texture 
  of 
  the 
  weathered 
  conglomerate 
  masses, 
  and 
  

   the 
  stratified 
  structure 
  of 
  these, 
  are 
  clearly 
  pointed 
  out. 
  He 
  mentions 
  

   picking 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  laterite 
  fragments, 
  both 
  angular 
  and 
  rounded, 
  of 
  

   white 
  quartz, 
  of 
  very 
  compact 
  red 
  sandstone,* 
  and 
  of 
  white, 
  granular, 
  

   friable 
  disintegrating 
  sandstone. 
  The 
  variety 
  of 
  appearances 
  presented 
  

   by 
  the 
  laterite 
  are 
  next 
  described, 
  from 
  the 
  heavy 
  deep 
  red 
  ferruginous 
  

   conglomerate 
  to 
  the 
  crumbling 
  semi-lithomargic 
  variety 
  and 
  the 
  mere 
  

   gravels. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Cole 
  then 
  enters 
  into 
  a 
  speculation 
  of 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  absence 
  

   of 
  organic 
  remains 
  from 
  the 
  laterite, 
  showing 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  afford 
  any 
  

   evidence 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  hypothesis 
  of 
  a 
  trappean 
  origin. 
  The 
  probable 
  

   sources 
  of 
  the 
  enclosed 
  fragments 
  are 
  pointed 
  out 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  notes 
  con- 
  

   clude 
  with 
  a 
  notice 
  of 
  the 
  economic 
  uses 
  and 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  laterite. 
  

  

  This 
  paper 
  shows 
  clearly 
  that 
  the 
  late 
  Mr. 
  Cole 
  only 
  needed 
  the 
  

   opportunity 
  of 
  acquiring 
  larger 
  experience 
  in 
  the 
  applied 
  sciences 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  have 
  distinguished 
  himself 
  as 
  a 
  geologist. 
  

  

  Two 
  years 
  after 
  the 
  publication 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Cole's 
  memoir, 
  a 
  paper 
  

   'On 
  the 
  laterite 
  formation' 
  appeared 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  Dr. 
  J. 
  Clark. 
  

  

  Madras 
  Journal 
  (October, 
  1838,) 
  from 
  the 
  pen 
  of 
  

  

  Dr. 
  John 
  Clark, 
  of 
  the 
  13th 
  Dragoons, 
  but 
  it 
  contained 
  no 
  special 
  

  

  * 
  Probably 
  quartzite, 
  

  

  ( 
  ^ 
  ) 
  

  

  