1841.] Report on the Island of Chedooba. 443 



No. 10, shews the soil from the neighbourhood of a petroleum well in 

 this circle (Inrooma). Some time since it was destroyed by fire, since 

 which the public claim it, but its produce is therefore nothing, though the 

 soil is full of the oil. 



No. 11, represents the more sandy soil of the eastern circles. It was 

 taken from the neighbourhood of Mengbreng. The circle of that name, 

 with the one just noticed (Inrooma) are the most populous on the Island 

 the greatest quantity of export rice being produced in these, and chiefly in 

 this soil, — a more productive one than appearances would seem to warrant. 



No. 12, is also a soil of the Mengbreng circle, and taken from a spot 

 about 3 miles W. S. W. of the village of that name, and amid the jungle. 

 It may not be put forward as a representative, though in the neighbourhood 

 whence taken, it may be extensive. The largest trees were found on the 

 lower grounds principally ; the wild mangoe were found growing in 

 this soil. 



No. 13, from the Tangee, a circle and neighbourhood of the village of 

 Tekkea, at the foot of the south peak, is again a soil peculiar as far as was 

 observed. East and west of it the cultivated soils are represented by No. 

 2, while Nos. 3 and 4, perform the same office for the soils of the hills 

 which are highest in this the southern circle of the Island. 



No. 14, is a specimen of the most peculiar soil on Chedooba, taken from 

 its only barren spot, the higher parts of its central hill. 



No. 15, is not of Chedooba at all, but from its sort of dependency, Flat 

 Island, separated from it by a narrow strait. It has been added from its 

 great similarity to the stiff clay of No. 1, whose productive properties 

 it may serve perhaps to illustrate. 



It was taken from the centre of the Island where it had been under 

 constant cultivation for more than one century, yielding an ample annual 

 return. Every patch of available land on this Island is fully tilled, its 

 centre, one continued rice ground. 



Nodules of Iron ore, as in No. 16, will on search be found generally 

 over the Island, either embedded in the greenish sandstone, or having 

 been detached from it. Though often very rich, they are not in sufficient 

 quantities to amount to valuable, nor am I of opinion that the ore in con- 

 tinuous beds will by any search be discovered. 



No. 17, shews some fragments of copper ore, a few also of silver may 

 be found, but both are confined to the surface of the volcanoes in the 

 Island, and have been ejected by them from beneath. Even on these sites 

 a strict search is necessary to dete-ct them. I only heard of one piece of 



the size of two eggs having ever been found. 



K 



