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PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [June 25, 



of both monsoons, and it is only when the China Sea is agitated by- 

 strong or continued winds during the N.E. monsoon that heavy waves 

 roll into the Strait, and attack all the exposed shores of the three 

 most easterly basins*, — the Peninsular coast from Point Romania to 

 Marbukit, the Batam coast as far west as T. Singkwang, and the 

 south-east coast of Singapore. 



The east coast of the Peninsula and the north coast of Bintang, 

 lying on the China Sea, are at all times exposed to the action of its 

 waves ; and the abrasion at all the points, notwithstanding the soli- 

 dity of the rocks, has been great. It is particularly observable at the 

 promontory terminating in Tanjong Pungai and Tanjong Kmawar, 

 the first of which points is covered with massive globular blocks of 

 iron- ore gleaming like gigantic balls of polished metal, the indestruc- 

 tible fragments of a hill, one-half of which has been destroyed, and 

 of which the cliff behind, notwithstanding its masses of iron-rock, is 

 year after year yielding more spoil to the waves. The hill at the 

 second or northerly point, being less ferruginous, has been ground 

 down to the level of the sea, and nothing is now left but the long 

 quartz-penetrated ledges of its foundation. The extremity of the 

 Siglap and Tana Mera hills on the east coast of Singapore, being com- 

 posed of soft sandstone and conglomerate, are annually suffering 

 abrasion ; large fragments falling down during every N.E. monsoon. 

 The waste here must have been enormous, for the abraded sand has 

 completely blocked up the whole S.E. coast of ancient Singapore, so 

 that for about ten miles the only spots where the sea touches it are 

 the two hills, the abrasion of which forms Tana Mera Besar and 

 Tana Mera Kichi (the Red Cliffs) . This long sand-bank, which has 

 completely dammed in all the water of the plain of Singapore, is the 

 best measure which the Straits afford of the power of the waves 

 raised by the N.E. monsoon, and it is worthy of notice as an instance 

 in which the compensatory effects of abrasion far exceed the destruc- 

 tive, as respects the superficial proportion between land and sea. 



" The sedimentary ranges to the west of Singapore plain, which are 

 variously indurated, charged with iron, and highly inclined, have op- 

 posed greater resistance to the sea ; but the quantity of soft clays and 

 shales which they contain has facilitated its action, and long ribs and 

 ledges of iron-masked rock, stretching across the banks, mark at 

 once how difficultly destructible they are in themselves, and how 

 unavailing they have proved to save the hills which they bound 

 together. At one place the sea has cut through some highly indu- 

 rated strata and divided an island (Blakang Mati) in two, and a 

 strong current rushing through this narrow gateway into New Har- 

 bour, its old circuitous route around the northern end of the island 

 has gradually been filled up with mud, and the detached northern 

 half thus united to Singapore. The islands in the Strait are all 

 greatly abraded V and many of them have long ledges running out 



* The tidal current sometimes runs for eighteen hours of the twenty-four into 

 the Strait during springs, and for two or three days without interruption during 

 neaps. 



f This paragraph so far is copied from my Essay on the Geology of the Peninsula 

 cited before. 



