AND THE NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS. 



159 



III. Pigeon Island, situated near the southern extremity of the. 

 west side of Pulo Pinang, is of small size, and thickly covered with jungle.' 

 The rocks at the base, from the action of water, present some most fan- 

 tastic forms ; now, like a huge wall standing apart from the rest, now, like 

 a Martello tower; and sometimes like a piece of Hindu sculpture from 

 Mahabalipuram or the caves of Elora. It is entirely composed of coarse 

 grey granite, with a large proportion of mica, (No. 6.) 



IV. Saddle Island, or Pulo Kundit, about two miles distant from 

 the south-west point of Pinang, is about two miles in circumference, being 

 three-fourths of a mile long and one-fourth broad. Like all the other islets 

 we visited, it is thickly covered with jungle and a few forest trees. On its 

 north side these approach within a few feet of the water. The south and 

 west sides are bold and rocky, the rock in some places being nearly perpendi- 

 cular, and on the west side there is a deep bay, where several prows might 

 lurk in safety. All round are numerous caves and cave-like fissures, 

 into which the sea rushes with a hollow sound. The constant action of 

 the water has so much worn the rocks, close to the edge, that they present 

 at first sight the appearance of lava. At low water mark a great 

 quantity of coarse coral is to be found, which is collected and removed 

 by the lime-burners, in lieu of limestone. The geological structure of the 

 island resembles that of Pulo Sonsong, formerly described. It is a mass 

 of argillaceous schist of various colours, according to the greater or less 

 action of the weather, but principally grey, bluish, and red, amorphous in 

 many places, but presenting a laminar, and even fissile slaty texture in 

 some, especially on the east side. It is distinctly stratified throughout ; 

 the strata running north-west and south-east, at an angle of about sixty 

 degrees. Near the beach on the east side, the out-croppings of the strata, as 

 on PuloSo7isong, form sharp ridges ; the rock is soft and of a reddish colour, 

 (No. 8,) traversed by veins of ([uartz, and of a metallic matter (') In some 



