NO. 48. — 1897.] GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 



73 



1. Werengodde. 



2. Medellenewa. 



3. Paremakande (Parama-kanda),° all three in the Demoole-pattu 



(Demala pattu). 



4. Giribawah (G-iribawa), in the Mahamedde-pattu (now Mi-oyen 



Egoda korale). 



5. Maha-kelle. 



6. Galgiriawah (Galgiriyawa).f 



7. Kadooroo-wuwa (Kaduruwewa), all three in Hatalispahay 



korale (now Hatalispahe korale east). 



8. Kadigaway (Kadigawa), in Magoole korale (now Magul Meda- 



gandahe korale west). 



9. Ressiroowey (Rasseruwa), in Naganpahay korale (now Hatalis- 



pahe korale east). 



Judging from four nitre caves that I have visited and from the 

 specimens of rocks of several more that I have examined, I believe 

 that they are all very similar ; and that the rocks in which they occur 

 in every case contain at least felspar and carbonate of lime ; from the 

 decomposition of the former of which the alkaline base of the salt is 

 generally derived, and by the peculiar influence of the latter on the 

 oxygen and azote of the atmosphere the acid principle is generated. 

 I have never been able to detect saltpetre, excepting superficially, 

 where air could have access ; never unaccompanied by nitrate of lime 

 or magnesia ; in no rock, not containing lime or felspar ; that the 

 richness of the rock in general has been proportional to the abundance 

 and intimate mixture of these two ingredients.^ 



Of the Putt a] am and Chilaw Districts, Brodie observes : — 



Nitre used at one time to be procured from various caves. One of 

 these I visited, and have reason to believe that the salt was not formed 

 naturally, but it was obtained artificially from the dung of countless 

 bats which have their abode in the grotto. § 



The process of preparing the salt is thus detailed : — 



When the salt occurred, impregnating the surface of the rock, the 

 surface was chipped off with small strong axes, and the chippings by 

 pounding were reduced to the state of a powder. This powder, or the 

 loose fine earth, which in most of the caves contained the saline 



* Casie Chitty confirms the statement, and says that at the base of the 

 hill Parama-kanda there is a cave from which the natives formerly 

 obtained saltpetre. — "Ceylon Gazetteer," p. 183. 



f In Nikawagampaha korale, Hiriyala hatpattu. 



t "Ceylon/' pp. 31-32. 



§ Journal, C.B.R.A.S., No. 6, 1853. 



