114 
Beconh of the Geological Survey of India. 
[vOL. XIII. 
I am also mucli indebted to Mr. Carriol, Chief Engineer of Pondicherry, for 
his guidance, and for placing of all available information and assistance at my 
disposal in this enquiry. 
The oriffinal well at the Savana filature was commenced on the 1st Febni- 
ary 1877, and the boring (after several accidents and a removal to a short dis¬ 
tance) having been put down to a depth of about 174 feet, the present rising sheet 
of water began to flow and obtained a height of nearly a foot over the soil and a 
discharge of nearly 20 gallons per minute on the 10th Sejjtember in the same 
year. The flow increased to more than double this amount, and it has now 
been going on steadily for more than two years. 
In the succeeding year a second boring was .started at the Oopallem mills, 
and in the remarkably short period of thirty-seven days, and at the moderate 
expenditure of Es. 1,500 (not accounting for apparatus and repairs), a -water¬ 
bearing stratum was tapped at about 115 feet which is now discharging 99'5 
gallons a minute at a height of neaily one foot over the surface, and has con¬ 
tinued so since the 11th October 1878. 
The French Government being now convinced of the occurrence of water- 
sheets with a ‘ head,’ determined on developing this unforeseen source of water- 
supply. A site was selected in the Jardin d’Acclimatation; and under the ad¬ 
ministration of Mr. Carriol, the Chief Engineer, a third boring was carried out 
-with great success, a sheet of water being struck at 261 feet Avhich has had 
a discharge of 146'52 gallons a minute, at 4'85 feet over the level of the soil, since 
the 20th March 1879. This boring was carried out with great cai’e, details 
and specimens of the strata jiassed through having been preserved. 
It is difficult to give an idea of the very charming and inspiriting effect of 
this fountain so opened up in these gardens, though for a so-called fountain the 
height of the jet is very insignificant. The large basin is raised well over the 
level of the gardens for the necessary distribution of the water, while a large rose 
is placed over the orifice of the tube, so that the water only wells up rather 
violently and falls in a bubbling mass about a foot over the surface of the sheet in 
the basin. The mere gush of clear and brilliant water in a country where one so 
seldom secs water in such joyous motion, rising as it does from an unknown 
source, makes this fountain a most fascinating and beautiful feature, and soon 
tends to lead one into an enthusiastic belief in the existence of similar sources, 
and the possibility of opening them up, in almost any moderately extensive alluvi¬ 
al flat on the coast or even far inland. The Savana well is ill-placed, among the 
mill buildings in the deep shadow of its service well or basin, and its discharge is 
not so great; but the Oopallem well makes a brilliant oasis of its grass-grown 
mound in the otheiwise rather sombre factory compound. 
The supply of water from this well being sufficient for the gardens, a second 
boring -W'as started under the same auspices and able administration, on about the 
most elevated ground in Pondicherry, in the Ville Noire, with the laudable 
object of distributing water over the native quarter. Here the works are on the 
same extensive scale, and much larger piping is used. Not, however, until a 
depth of 650 feet has rising water been met with; and this only comes within 35 
inches of the surface, -with a discharge of about 20 gallons a minute. This result 
