110 



Silicified wood of Pondichh y 



in his eloquent and popular works, and Dr. MacuUoch, in his profound 

 system, written in 1821, although not published till ten years later. 



I therefore entreat Captain Campbell to describe with care and in 

 common language, the districts he may have opportunities of examin- 

 ing ; and not to imagine that one man can build up a science such as 

 this, or that all that has been done by the many profound geologists, 

 chemists, mineralogists, travellers, and naturalists in all countries, 

 can be overlooked by any one who himself aspires to contribute his 

 share to the good work. He cannot have a better model than that 

 furnished by Dr. Voysey or Dr. Benza, (except in the Continental 

 Nomenclature of the latter), both of whom were intimately acquainted 

 with the districts visited by Captain Campbell. Dr. Boase's example, 

 on the contrary, is to be shunned rather than followed. 



I take this opportunity of referring to a remark in the 6th Number 

 of your Journal, page 236, relative to the following passage in my 

 paper on the Deccan : — 



" With regard to the age of the silicified wood of Pondichery, no 

 " facts have yet been ascertained, that can justify any conclusion; 

 " it is, however, to be hoped, that a gentleman familiarly acquaint- 

 " ed with the tertiary and volcanic rocks of Greece and Italy, will 



soon communicate positive information regarding the geological 

 ** relations of the sandstones containing the silicified trees ; and the 

 *' fossil shells; the conical hollows, obsidions, and other indications of 

 " volcanic action, said to exist in that neighbourhood. The shells 

 '* I have seen, differ from those of Central India." — Geological Trans- 

 actions, vol, — page 272. 



Mr. Kaye observes, that he did not know who the gentleman could 

 be, and I find that others were equally in the dark ; in consequence, 

 I suppose, of the paper having been so long written previous to the 

 publication of the volume of Geological Transactions in which it ap- 

 peared. The person referred to was that accomplished geologist Dr. 

 Benza, the only person in the South of India, then or now, to whom 

 the remark could apply ; and whom I had hoped, thus to induce to 

 enter on this most interesting enquiry. I had myself been asked to 

 engage in it by Mr. Prinsep, but I was sensible that Dr. Benza could 

 do greater justice to it; nor do I regret that I did not enter on it, 

 as Messrs. Kaye and Cunliffe's papers are so excellent. 



