Geological formations of Tenasserim Provinces. 187 



which occur during the NE. monsoon, I took no particular 

 notice of the circumstance until a few months since, when, 

 on observing a larger deposit than usual at a point near the 

 base of the bank, which presented no such appearance the 

 previous tide, I was induced to make a closer inspection of it, 

 and found the mass to consist of magnetic iron sand, about 

 an inch in depth, and of considerable extent, in the direction 

 of the sea, apparently thrown down by the rainwater pene- 

 trating through the rock forming the line of coast. 



The discovery of the nature of this deposit led me to a 

 further investigation into that of the rock forming its matrix ; 

 which, from its general appearance, I had concluded to be a 

 semi-indurated clay, coloured at the surface by oxide of iron, 

 an abundant ingredient throughout the surface rock of these 

 Provinces. Instead of the clay the common magnifying lens 

 exposed the ingredients of a granite rock, in a state of 

 decomposition, with the grains of iron sand disseminated 

 throughout the felspar of the mass. 



On a line with the base of the rock, and partially covered 

 by the sand and detritus from the blocks of ferruginous breccia 

 which crop out in all directions, masses of clay-like material 

 appear, which, being formed from the decomposition of the 

 bank, afford a coarse description of " Kaolin," mixed however, 

 with a very large proportion of fine quartzose sand and mica, 

 so as to render it valueless as a porcelain clay. 



The section of the coast line at this particular part pre- 

 sents at a distance, an uniform homogeneous mass, without 

 any lines of stratification ; but a closer view discloses numer- 

 ous lines of quartz of various dimensions, striking almost 

 vertically through the rock, and at a point, a short distance 

 to the southward of this site, where the washing of the high 

 spring-tides has caused a recent abrasion of the bank, the 

 harder ingredient being darker in colour than the rest, show 

 a decided line of stratification in the same direction as the 

 quartz veins ; which again corresponds with the angle of 



