﻿70 
  THEOBALD 
  : 
  GEOLOGY 
  OF 
  PEGU. 
  

  

  fossil-wood 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  overlying 
  sands, 
  may 
  usually 
  be 
  detected 
  on 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  this 
  clay, 
  whereas 
  such 
  are 
  never 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  alluvium. 
  Where, 
  moreover, 
  a 
  large 
  area 
  of 
  this 
  under-clay 
  is 
  ex- 
  

   posed 
  and 
  forms 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  appreciable 
  

   difference 
  in 
  aspect 
  between 
  it 
  and 
  the 
  alluvium. 
  The 
  difference 
  consists 
  

   partly 
  in 
  color, 
  the 
  clay 
  in 
  question 
  being 
  entirely 
  devoid 
  of 
  any 
  tinge 
  of 
  

   red, 
  which 
  is 
  usually 
  present 
  in 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  alluvium 
  which 
  other- 
  

   wise 
  most 
  nearly 
  resembles 
  it, 
  the 
  prevailing 
  tint 
  in 
  one 
  being 
  a 
  yellowish 
  

   gray, 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  a 
  slightly 
  reddish-yellow. 
  The 
  older 
  clay 
  moreover 
  

   cracks 
  under 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  sun 
  much 
  more 
  deeply 
  than 
  the 
  other, 
  and 
  

   recals 
  in 
  this 
  particular 
  the 
  regur 
  soil 
  of 
  India, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  paler 
  varieties 
  

   of 
  which 
  it 
  rather 
  closely 
  resembles. 
  In 
  this 
  clay 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  rather 
  

   large 
  nodular 
  concretions 
  of 
  lime, 
  or 
  kunkur, 
  may 
  be 
  noticed, 
  which 
  is 
  

   wanting, 
  or 
  rare 
  and 
  small 
  in 
  the 
  alluvium 
  in 
  Pegu.* 
  

  

  Another 
  extensive 
  spread 
  of 
  this 
  clay 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  

   Bulay 
  stream 
  above 
  Lepandoung, 
  a 
  village 
  eleven 
  miles 
  from 
  its 
  mouth. 
  

   Between 
  this 
  village 
  and 
  Shuaybandor 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  this 
  clay 
  occurs 
  (inclu- 
  

   sive 
  of 
  alluvium, 
  which, 
  in 
  parts, 
  is 
  very 
  thick) 
  of 
  seventy 
  or 
  eighty 
  square 
  

   miles. 
  Along 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  area, 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  the 
  

   overlying 
  sand 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  seen 
  ; 
  though 
  extensively 
  denuded, 
  a 
  narrow 
  

  

  * 
  Although 
  this 
  clay 
  has 
  some 
  similarity 
  in 
  appearance 
  to 
  regur, 
  the 
  well-known 
  

   and 
  productive 
  cotton-soil 
  of 
  India, 
  yet 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  cultivation 
  is 
  attempted 
  on 
  it, 
  and 
  the 
  

   trees 
  which 
  are 
  met 
  with 
  growing 
  on 
  this 
  clay 
  are 
  all 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  stunted, 
  as 
  though 
  from 
  

   some 
  uncongenial 
  elements 
  in 
  the 
  soil. 
  How 
  far 
  this 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  peculiar 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  soil, 
  

   or 
  due 
  to 
  its 
  hygroscopic 
  properties 
  and 
  condition, 
  I 
  cannot 
  say 
  ; 
  hut 
  I 
  think 
  the 
  diminished 
  

   supply 
  of 
  water 
  caused 
  hy 
  the 
  impervious 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  clay, 
  and 
  the 
  consequent 
  retention 
  

   and 
  storage 
  in 
  it 
  of 
  but 
  a 
  very 
  fractional 
  amount 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  which 
  falls 
  on 
  it, 
  will 
  go 
  far 
  to 
  

   account 
  for 
  the 
  impoverished 
  look 
  of 
  the 
  trees 
  growing 
  on 
  it. 
  The 
  three 
  most 
  common 
  trees 
  

   on 
  this 
  clay 
  are 
  the 
  Touk-kiahn, 
  Terminalia 
  macrocarpa, 
  the 
  Shah-hpew, 
  Phyllanthus 
  emhlica, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Tay, 
  Diospyros 
  sp. 
  ; 
  hut 
  these 
  do 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  attain 
  their 
  full 
  size, 
  whilst 
  other 
  

   familiar 
  forest 
  trees 
  are 
  either 
  absent 
  altogether 
  or 
  few 
  in 
  number 
  and 
  stunted 
  in 
  growtb. 
  

   On 
  the 
  whole, 
  I 
  am 
  inclined 
  to 
  refer 
  the 
  unfavorable 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  flora 
  to 
  the 
  

   hygroscopic, 
  rather 
  than 
  to 
  any 
  inherent 
  chemical 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  clay 
  ; 
  and 
  if 
  this 
  is 
  correct, 
  

   irrigation 
  would 
  probably 
  convert 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  barren 
  soils 
  in 
  Pegu 
  into 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  

   fertile. 
  

  

  ( 
  258 
  ) 
  

  

  