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CEYLON BRANCH 



than from two to six feet in depth; and in the north-east mon- 

 soon a space of several square miles is laid dry; at this time 

 large quantities of decaying sea-weeds give rise to very un- 

 pleasant emanations — but it has not been observed that these 

 prove in any way injurious to health. The western boundary 

 of the gulf is formed by a long low strip of land from one to 

 three miles in breadth — which exhibits either bare downs 

 scantily covered here and there with stunted, windshorn trees, 

 or extensive plantations of cocoanut palms which are found to 

 thrive admirably in the apparently arid soil. This peninsula 

 is commonly called the Akkerupattoo, and is bounded on its 

 western side by the sea. 



The waters of the shallow gulf, being freely exposed to 

 the violence of the monsoons, are at all times extremely turbid, 

 and having lost their diaphaneity, it may be premised that they 

 will be sensibly and rapidly affected by the rays of the sun. 



The village itself is situated on the edge of a plain extend- 

 ing indefinitely to the north and south, bounded on the west, as 

 before mentioned, by the gulf, and on the east by a range of 

 low undulating sand hills clothed with dense forests. This 

 plain in the immediate vicinity of Putlam, is either partially 

 covered by low open jungle, or is quite exposed; it is traversed 

 by numerous salt-water creeks, and contains an abundance of 

 small tanks and marshes ; except in the rainy season there is 

 however, no running water within a distance of several miles. 



The soil is for the most part quite sandy, with patches 

 here and there, of black paddy field earth, potters' clay or 

 recent marl, with deep silt along the shores of the sea and of 

 the creeks. Cocoanut topes and a few neglected paddy fields 

 are the only signs of cultivation in the neighbourhood. 



I believe that I have now enumerated the chief local 

 circumstances which can affect the climate of the place and 



