DELTA OF THE KEDIRI. l6l 



consequence of illness in his family. All the prin- 

 cipal Dutch officers, civil, military, and naval, were 

 present, and the style of the whole affair was very 

 good, and the kindness and civilities of the Resident 

 and his compatriots to all of us were indiscriminate 

 and abounding. Major Muller, of the Engineers, 

 gave me some interesting facts regarding the delta 

 of the Kediri. He said that there were many spots 

 like Gonung Sari dispersed about the delta, where 

 marine shells and corals were abundant, a few feet 

 below the surface of the ground. He also told me 

 that they had sunk an artesian well in Sourabaya, 

 hoping to strike down into the Madura limestone, 

 below the alluvial deposits, and procure purer water 

 than that of the river. In this operation, after 

 penetrating through a great thickness of sand and 

 sandy mud, they came down to very fine mud, or 

 clay, which they sank into for 200 feet, without 

 getting through it, when their tubes collapsed, and 

 the work was abandoned. 



All this shews plainly that there existed once 

 a clear deep sea, in which grew corals and shells, 

 the former in great numbers ; and from their detritus 

 a great mass of limestone was formed. This was 

 partially elevated, so as to form islands, one of which 

 was part of Madura, the others its neighbouring 

 islets, and those which are now united to the 

 land. Into the sea thus shallowed, but still in 

 places several hundred feet deep, the Kediri, after 



VOL. II. m 



