150 



Proceedings. [No. 7, new seeies. 



Coimbatore, 1 7 th March, 1858. 

 To the Editor of the Madras Journal of Literature and Science. 



Sir, — I have just perused with much pleasure in the last Num- 

 ber of your Journal, an interesting description of the crystalline 

 limestone of Coimbatore, by H. F. Blanford, Esq., of the Geologi- 

 cal Survey of India. Mr. Blanford's introductory remarks would 

 lead to the supposition that the discovery of the formation in ques- 

 tion had been made, in the first instance, by Dr. Cleghorn and 

 Captain Francis, the District Engineer, but such was not really the 

 case. The credit of the discovery, if there be any, belongs, to A. 

 D. Ross, Esq., Engineer No. 1 District, Madras Railway and my- 

 self. 



Early in June 1857, Mr. Ross happened to mention to me that 

 the Natives employed on the Railway were in the habit of burning 

 a curious looking stone in the neighbourhood, for chunam to mix 

 with their betel nut, and, at my request, Mr. Ross was good enough 

 to procure me a specimen of the stone, which I at once recognised 

 as a crystalline marble. 



A few days after this I examined the locality where the stone 

 was found, accompanied by Mr. Ross. We traced the band of 

 crystalline limestone from the point stated by Mr. Blanford to the 

 edge of the Walior jungle, a distance of seven or eight miles, and 

 on Mr. Blanford's subsequent visit here I accompanied him and 

 pointed out the position of the limestone band. 



Dr. Cleghorn and Captain Francis some weeks after my exami- 

 nation accompanied Mr. Ross along the Railway works to the Wa- 

 lior jungles, and the limestone in question was then pointed out to 

 them, in situ, by Mr. Ross. 



At the time of discovery specimens of the marbles were submit- 

 ted by me to the inspection of the Collector E. B. Thomas, Esq., 

 and Captain Francis. 



Injustice to. Mr. Ross and myself I mention these particulars ; 

 Mr. Blanford was doubtless unacquainted with them, or, as he at- 

 taches^so] much importance to the discovery, I am sure he would 

 havegiven'us the credit of being the first to recognize the value of 

 the limestone. 



