No. 6»— 1853.] DISTRICT OF CHILAW AND PUTTALAM. 



39 



her palace under the waves, and, bursting through a neck of 

 land, converted the lake into a gulf, which form it still retains. 



Mineralogy* 



No gems have been found in this District ; and the only ore 

 which I have heard of is the bog iron ore, procured in consider- 

 able quantities,, a few miles to the south of Chilaw, and smelted 

 by the natives, who have, it appears,, observed its reproduction* 



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 was obtained artificially from, 

 the dung of countless bats which have their abode in the grotto. 



Salt is procured in large quantities by evaporation of sea- 

 water, and indeed forms the chief source of public revenue. 

 The greater portion of it is obtained by means of artificial pans ; 

 a few hundred bushels are, however, occasionally spontaneously 

 formed near Kalpitiya^ during the dry season. 



At Uppukulam, fifteen miles N. W. of Puttalam, the natives 

 affirm that a very bitter kind of salt (Epsom?) is to be 

 procured. I have not, however, had any opportunity of verify- 

 ing the statement. 



Springs. 



No medical or thermal springs are known*. 



Soil , Agriculture, $cl 



As previously mentioned^ a great portion of the soil in the 

 maritime districts is a silicious sand, more or less mixed with 

 comminated shells. Where granite rocks exist, a reddish loam 

 takes the place of the sand ; and on the margin of rivers and 

 lakes a rich black mould, well adapted for the cultivation of 

 paddy, is to be met with. In some places a retentive clay 

 exists and is used in the manufacture of bricks, &c. 



The two staple vegetable products of the District are cocoa- 

 nuts and paddy * 



