﻿STONE 
  IMPLEMENTS 
  IN 
  LATERITE. 
  55 
  

  

  hazardous 
  when 
  we 
  consider 
  the 
  immense 
  quantities 
  of 
  magnetic 
  iron 
  

   and 
  highly 
  ferruginous 
  hornblende-rock 
  which 
  are 
  now, 
  as 
  they 
  must 
  

   have 
  been 
  then, 
  carried 
  into 
  the 
  sea 
  by 
  every 
  freshet 
  in 
  the 
  rivers. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  highest 
  level 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  shingle-bank 
  is 
  piled 
  up, 
  along 
  the 
  

   southern 
  flank 
  of 
  the 
  Naggery 
  mountains, 
  accords 
  well 
  with 
  the 
  level 
  

   which 
  I 
  suppose 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  uppermost 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  laterite 
  sea 
  

   around 
  the 
  Alicoor 
  hills, 
  and 
  which 
  I 
  estimate 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  rather 
  over 
  

   500 
  feet 
  above 
  sea-level." 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  absence 
  of 
  organic 
  remains 
  from 
  the 
  lateritic 
  formations 
  

   renders 
  it 
  very 
  difficult 
  to 
  arrive 
  at 
  any 
  satisfactory 
  conclusion 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   circumstances 
  existing 
  during 
  their 
  deposition 
  over 
  such 
  wide-spread 
  

   areas. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  good 
  reason 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  the 
  lateritic 
  conglomerates 
  

   and 
  sands 
  of 
  the 
  Madras 
  region 
  were 
  deposited 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  a 
  

   shallow 
  sea 
  studded 
  with 
  mountainous 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  straits, 
  between 
  

   which 
  flowed 
  currents 
  of 
  great 
  rapidity 
  and 
  strength. 
  The 
  sea 
  flowed 
  

   far 
  up 
  among 
  the 
  quartzite 
  and 
  gneiss 
  mountains 
  of 
  Naggery, 
  Trippetty, 
  

   and 
  Calastry, 
  and 
  still 
  further 
  north 
  it 
  formed 
  a 
  deep 
  bay 
  up 
  the 
  valley 
  

   of 
  the 
  Pennair, 
  while, 
  as 
  already 
  observed, 
  the 
  Sattavedu 
  and 
  Alicoor 
  hills, 
  

   and 
  the 
  highest 
  points 
  of 
  the 
  scattered 
  gneiss 
  hills 
  southward 
  of 
  

   Madras 
  {e. 
  g., 
  the 
  Palaveram, 
  Vendaloor, 
  Chingleput, 
  and 
  Pirukari 
  

   Kunam 
  hills), 
  exceeding 
  500 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  alone 
  stood 
  up 
  as 
  islands 
  in 
  

   the 
  laterite 
  sea 
  at 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  greatest 
  depression. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  westerly 
  direction 
  the 
  laterite 
  sea 
  probably 
  broke 
  against 
  a 
  

   generally 
  low 
  gneiss 
  coast 
  trending 
  in 
  a 
  north-north-east 
  direction 
  from 
  

   near 
  Covrepauk 
  to 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  Naggery 
  Nose. 
  

  

  The 
  islands 
  forming 
  at 
  present 
  the 
  Sattavedu 
  and 
  Alicoor 
  hills 
  

   were 
  very 
  probably 
  inhabited 
  or 
  visited 
  by 
  the 
  people 
  who 
  manufactured 
  

   the 
  implements 
  which 
  now 
  remain 
  as 
  the 
  only 
  record 
  of 
  their 
  existence. 
  

   Of 
  the 
  fauna 
  and 
  flora 
  of 
  these 
  islands 
  and 
  the 
  mainland 
  no 
  remains 
  

  

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