I So 
THE TRDP5CAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1891. 
THE GEOLOGY OF PUTTALAM, 
The geology of Puttalam is o£ very oon- 
Bidcrable interest because o£ tho undoubted ac- 
oretiou being made to the dry land by means of 
mud, sand, fragments of corals and shells ana other 
substances swept by currents into the spacious lagoon 
known as "the Puttalam Lake." An observant 
correspondent writes to us on the subject as 
follows : — 
" I have been much interested in the geology of this 
part of the country, I understaud no fossils to have been 
found previouely in Ceylou except as cora . I found 
in a hard sandstone at Oh.law several shell., most of 
them well embedded in the rock, and ot present date 
"7 have also found a perfect fofsil shell in what I 
»,«Hpve to be a magnesian limestone, and apparently 
very much older than the present time. I am seoding 
these down to you for inspection, and would l,ke you 
to htve them shown to any real y good geologist In 
my humble opinion the rooks enclosed are of later date 
than the coal formation, and I Fee no reason to doubt 
nnai heine found down in the lowoountry round here. 
We hlve^o bills within 40 miles of this : the oldest 
rock found eimilar to Aberdeen granite is found 4 miles 
inland from Puttalam, but not so near the sea, at 
SlmnatiDDU. I append a sketch showing where the 
S are found, and hope it may interest you. 
'°uWmbago is I believe crystallized coal, and if the 
l,o«t- &c were not sufficient here to form crystalline 
rocks, such as gneiss &o., but only enough to form 
Jandatones and magnesian limestone, possibly we may 
Bet coal in the natural state. , ^, , 
" In England I understand the formations run 
somewhat as follows— magnesian limestone, sandstone, 
""'f nlitx^ie find blue clay &11 about Puttalam for tome 
„i,e7 North we find magnesian limestone ? Begm- 
nina on the coast line about 8 miles N. and running 
r^n tho coast for 10 miles cr so and then agam inland 
ThV same 'tone is found 24 miles north ; tlie hard 
!,nH.tone beinc found down at Ohilaw. I have not 
found it more tin a mile or so north of Chilaw." 
Poraparip pu 
A 
D 
Chilaw 
E 
Puttalam 
D 
Madurankuli 
Bfttaloya 
A M. limestone 
B Sandstone 
C Conglomerate 
called coral with 
shells &. sand in it 
D Gravel 
£ Slue clay. 
The speculations of our correspondentabout coal are 
of exceeding interett; and it would be a grand day for 
Oeylon if this valuable fuel substance were found ia 
quantity. We are not, however, prepared to sgree 
that plumbago, which a German savant traces to 
gas or water, whence it was deposited, is crystal- 
lized coal: the best geologists have abandoned 
that idea. We submitted our correspondent's 
letter to Mr. George Armitage, who has kindly 
reported as follows : — 
Ee fPECIMENS OF ItOCKS BENT FROM PUTTALAM. 
One specimen is a recently formed sandstone con- 
taining a shell embedded in it. Tbis formation is 
found in the neighbourhood of Colombo about 
Hendala on the sea coast. [The curious and useful 
breccia known as " Pamunagama stone," utilized 
to a considerable extent as a building material — 
Ed. T. .1.] 
The other specimens are magnesian limestoDes, with 
appearances of fossils. Particulars of analysis enclosed. 
Your correspondent writes of sandstones and 
magnesian limestones as having been formed by 
heat. From his loose mode of expression it is 
rather difficult to understand his meaning. Sand- 
stones and magnesian limestones are not formed by 
heat, but doubtless much of the Oeylon crystalline 
magnesian limestone has been subjected to heat. Tbe 
specimen under examinatioa has more of a crypto* 
crystalline appearance, and should be carefully examined 
for fossils if it is wished to fix the relative geological 
date of the formation. It is idle speculating as to 
what may or may not be found. The thing required is 
to work at the formations that one comes across and 
try and find tbe Geological bonndary.lines, and dates 
when fossils can be found. 
I shall send my theories of our plumbago formations 
when returning Mr. A. M. Ferguson's notes on the 
Geology of Nuwara Eliya. 
Mr. Armitage's analysis of the magnesian limestone 
is as follows, and in quoting it we may say that 
this is the first time we have heard of dolomite, 
a much older rock than the ordinary coral 
limestone of the north of the island, existing 
close to the sea shore: — 
ANAiYSIS OF DOLOMITE FEOM PUTTALAM. 
Hardness 3-5. 
H. CI. in powder, sohible with eff. slight gelat. 
residue. 
Filter, neutralized with Am. Liq. slight prec. Iron. 
A Portion treated Ox. Am. sol. copious prec. white 
Oxalate of Lime. 
A Portion treated Am. Phos. Soda Sol. copious 
white prec. Phos. Magnesia. 
The mineral is a Magnesian Limestone, Dolomite . 
THE TALGASWELLA TEA ESTATE. 
Mr. E. S. Geioson's Eepoet. 
We recently mentioned that Mr. Edward S. 
Grigson was visiting tho Talgaswella estate ; and a 
very lengthy report hss just been distributed amongst 
the shareholders. He states that the property is 
only a few feet above sea-level, the climate moist 
and steamy, and therefore well suited to the 
cultivation of tbe tea plant. The rainfall averages 
from 180 to 200 inches per annum and is well 
distributed over the 7 months of the year. Some 
of the rising features of the land aro a little 
exposed to the influence of the S.-W., monsoon- 
and this year there has been more wind than 
usual, but it is nothing to speak of. The lay of 
land is perfect for tea, being easy and undulating 
throughout, with no abrupt features. The estate 
oomprisea 2,017 acres of which there are 485 
acres of tea 3 years old and 196 acres 2 year 
old ; and out of the balance it is estimated tha 
from 500 tQ 600 m ATailable i^t tbe f urtb 
