154 



Notice of the Scientific labors of 



[No. Si, 



From Bombay Dr. Christie proceeded down the coast by sea to 

 Mangalore, and thence by way of Cannanore, Tellicherry, and Wy- 

 naad to the Neilgherries, whence, after a month's stay, he went 

 to Madras. A sketch of his observations on this journey, contained 

 in a letter to Professor Jameson, appeared in the Edinburgh Philo- 

 sophical Journal for 1833, (p. 153,) and a more detailed official re- 

 port, dated 5th September, 1832, submitted to Government, was 

 considered worthy of transmission to the Court of Directors. 



The following extracts are taken from this paper, which embraced 

 observations on the geological structure of the country from Man- 

 galore via Cannanore, Tellicherry, and through Wynaad to the Neil- 

 gherry Hills. 



" The country on the coast, and probably extending to the foot of the 

 Ghauts, consists entirely of the ferruginous claystone formation, which 

 has been described by Buchanan under the name of laterite. It rests 

 upon granite and gneiss, which make their appearance in the beds of 

 many of the rivers, and very frequently on the sea coast. The laterite 

 is of little importance in an economical point of view, except as a build- 

 ing stone ; but is interesting when studied in relation to the phenomena 

 of springs, the nature of soils, and its general effects upon vegetation. 

 As far as I had an^opportunity of examining the other formations, they 

 appear to yield no mineral products of any value. 



" A few miles to the north of Mangalore, and in connection with the 

 laterite, I discovered an extensive deposit of pure porcelain clay, very 

 closely resembling that of Limoges in France, of which the beautiful Sevres 

 ware is formed. I need not point out the importance of this article. 

 Being found close upon the coast, it might be easily shipped, and sent 

 home as dead weight ; or, with the assistance of Chinese workmen, it may 

 hereafter become an article of manufacture in India. I also found it in 

 considerable abundance, and of nearly equ^al purity, on the Neilgherries. 



" The whole of Wynaad consists of primitive rocks, with a few patches 

 of laterite, in certain situations, and great deposits of diluvium. In the 

 latter (which consists principally of a reddish clay, with imbedded frag- 

 ments of gneiss, granite, and quartz) gold is found. On the road between 

 NeUiaal and Goodaloor, I observed some shallow pits in the diluvium, and 

 remarking the similarity between this deposit, and those in which gold is 

 found in other parts of the world, I made inquiries of the natives res- 

 pecting it, and ascertained that they procured gold here by washing it in 

 the rainy season. Having seen no geological account of the gold works 

 in this part of India, I am not aware whether the metal has yet been 

 found in its original matrix, or whether it is wholly derived from this 

 loose transported deposit, or diluvium as geologists call it. The latter 



