26 Brief notes on the Geology §-c. of Nancowry harbour. [No. 1, 



group of the Nicobars which, on account of the trade with cocoa- 

 nuts and trepang are much better known to the Malayan traders 

 than the southern larger islands. The history of the various 

 attempts made by the Danes, Austrians and by French Mis- 

 sionaries for a settlement on these islands are well known 

 from the records of the voyages of the Danish Corvette* " Ga- 

 lathea," (1847), from Dr. Eink'sf " sketch of the Physical geo- 

 graphy and geology" of these islands, and from the manifold reports 

 relating to the Nicobars by different members of the Austrian expe- 

 dition with the Frigatte "Novara," (1858). \ In these works mu%k 

 has also been published relating to the fauna of these islands, but the 

 accounts are not always the results of personal observations, and 

 as such, the few notes which I have to place upon record will, I 

 trust, prove of some interest. 



For the notes on the fishes collected by me, I am indebted to Dr. 

 F. Day, and for those on the Mollusca to Mr. G. N e v i 1 1. 



Geology. 



The geology of these islands as forming a portion of the Nicobar 

 group has already been described by Dr. Eink, geologist attach- 

 ed to the Corvette " Galathea," and by Dr. Hochstetter, of 

 the " Novara." 



My field observations, I find on comparison, are siniply confirma- 

 tory of the views as to the structure of these islands held by the 

 last mentioned distinguished geologist, and which have recently 

 been published in the Records of the Geological Survey of India. § 

 I do not, therefore, give them in detail here, but I shall briefly al- 

 lude to the general results. 



Dr. Eink separates the sedimentary rocks into two formations, 

 calling the clay stones and their associated conglomerates of Ca- 

 morta, Nancowry, Trinkut, &c. " Older Alluvium" ; and the sand- 

 stones and slates of the southern islands " brown coal formation." 

 Dr. Hochstetter does not agree in this opinion, believing 



* Steen Billes account of the voyage of the Corvette " Galathea" round the 

 world, Copenhagen, Leipzig, 1852. 



f Copenhagen, 1847. 



J Voyage of the Novara by Dr. Karl Scherzer, and Results of the 

 scientific discoveries of the Novara expedition &c. 



§ Vol. II, Part 3, 1869. 



