90 



Geological Features 



[NO. 1, NEW sr.RIES , 



Trees such as the Cashew {Anacardium occidental) the Alexan- 

 drian Laurel '^Calophyllum InophjUum) and the wild Date fPhosnix 

 : :risj grow well, and render a double service by preventing a 

 further encroachment of sand, and rendering the land useful. 



Note.— In support of my favorable opinion of the Spinifex, I may quote the fol- 

 lowing authorities from the Records of the Military Board. 



In 1549, Major Worster, Superintendent of Roads, first rfco-r mended the trans- 

 plantation of this grass as well adapted for securing the sand from drifting ; and 

 in 1851, he represented "that of the two experiments made with the Rabbit 

 Weed and the Ground Ration to protect the side of the Sea Beach Road, the 

 prefere; ce is given to the Rattan, the trial of this plant to the extent of 872 ft. x 

 10 ft being considered to have proved perfectly successful." Under these cii- 

 caimtances, Government sanctioned an outlay of 240 Rs. for planting the Ground 

 Rattan between the Coom Bar and the Ice House, on a length of 4,109 feet by 

 12 in breadth. 



Again, Captain Cannon, Acting Superintendent of Roads, under date 21st 

 July 1853, in reporting on the effects of this plant in protecting the South Beach, 

 states the experiment succeeded (i as a preservative to the edges of the road next 

 to the beach, preventing them from being breached to the fame extent as for- 

 merly. The good effects are best seen (between the Marine Villa and fishermen's 

 huts" by comparing the prrtions where it flour shes in full luxuriance, with those 

 where from the constant passage of the fishermen over it, the plant has been de- 

 stroyed ; in the former there is a high bank of sand covered with vegeta'ion, and 

 little subject to drift, whereas in the latter, the sand is constantly shifting, and 

 moreover the foot paths form channel* for the drainage of the road, and where 

 such is the case breaches most frequently occur. I consider the Ground Rattan 

 f ir 5 u: r: : r t : • ':. ; ?. . bit Weed as a protection to the Beach. " 



Mr! Cade.l, Sub Collector of Tanjore, likewise inform* me that he finds this the 

 hi I iesrt and most useful of all the plants tried on the sides of the Eastern Coast 



TIL The Geological features rf Madura, Trichinqpokf, Tan- 

 jore, and Poothvcotta. By the Rev. D. Muzzy. 



The region of country embraced in this paper is that included in 

 the four Districts of Madura, Trichinopoly, Tanjore and Pootha- 

 cctta. It is bounded on the north by South Arcot and Salem, on 

 the east by Paulk"s Straits, or. the s outh by the Gulf of tfanai and 

 the Collectorate of Tinnevelly, and on^the west by the Province of 

 Coimbatore and the Malabar country. 



Its mountains are the Patchemalies or Green Mountains in the 

 north-western part of Trichinopoly ; the Pulneys and Serumaliesin 

 the Madura District, with various ranges of smaller mountains and 

 detached spurs and cliffs, and some vast rocks. The rivers are the 

 Vellar. or White-river in the extreme north, the Cauvery and Vigay 

 with their branches ; these and a few other small streams com- 

 prise all the rivers that are found in this region. 



