﻿1&8 
  FOOTE 
  : 
  GEOLOGY 
  OF 
  MADRAS. 
  

  

  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  spray 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  this 
  rock 
  assumes 
  a 
  dark-black 
  color, 
  but 
  

   where 
  beyond 
  the 
  reach 
  of 
  the 
  spray, 
  it 
  weathers 
  to 
  a 
  dark 
  or 
  pale 
  

   dirty 
  pink. 
  

  

  The 
  black 
  color 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  pagoda 
  at 
  the 
  water's 
  

   edge. 
  

  

  The 
  erosive 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  salt 
  water 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  studied 
  in 
  this 
  

   ruin, 
  in 
  which 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  walls 
  have 
  been 
  excavated 
  and 
  pierced 
  by 
  it, 
  

   and 
  must 
  speedily 
  crumble 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  A 
  few 
  yards 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  pagoda 
  lies 
  a 
  low 
  reef 
  of 
  gneiss 
  rocks 
  

   which 
  breaks 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  surf, 
  and 
  but 
  for 
  which 
  this 
  ancient 
  

   temple 
  would 
  probably 
  long 
  since 
  have 
  fallen 
  a 
  prey 
  to 
  the 
  encroaching 
  

   action 
  of 
  the 
  sea. 
  

  

  A 
  noteworthy 
  feature 
  connected 
  with 
  these 
  gneissic 
  rocks 
  is 
  the 
  

   parallelism 
  subsisting 
  between 
  the 
  general 
  strike 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  

   present 
  coast 
  line. 
  This 
  probably 
  depends 
  in 
  some 
  measure, 
  if 
  not 
  

   entirely, 
  on 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  ridges 
  of 
  corresponding 
  strike 
  at 
  a 
  small 
  

   depth 
  below 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  uncom- 
  

   pacted 
  alluvial 
  formations 
  is 
  prevented. 
  Two 
  such 
  ridges 
  exist 
  opposite 
  

   to 
  the 
  black 
  Pagoda 
  at 
  Mahavalipuram 
  (Seven 
  Pagodas), 
  the 
  one 
  close 
  

   in 
  to 
  shore 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  surf 
  breaks 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   preservation 
  of 
  the 
  pagoda 
  is 
  due. 
  The 
  second 
  ridge 
  lies 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  

   out 
  at 
  sea, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  occasionally 
  between 
  the 
  rollers 
  which 
  are 
  

   always 
  breaking 
  over 
  it. 
  

  

  Another 
  example 
  of 
  a 
  ridge 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  shore 
  occurs 
  at 
  Covelong. 
  

   A 
  similar 
  parallelism, 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  less 
  perfect 
  degree, 
  obtains 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  

   Palar 
  nearly 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Pondicherry. 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  formation 
  of 
  any 
  special 
  geological 
  interest 
  occurs 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  crest 
  of 
  the 
  Apoor 
  hill 
  about 
  eight 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  

   Apoor 
  hills. 
  

  

  Chingleput. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  bluish-white 
  quartz, 
  

  

  perfectly 
  stratified, 
  the 
  lamination 
  of 
  which 
  agrees 
  thoroughly 
  with 
  

  

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