PART 3.] 
Uoeldeller, Geology of Nicobars. 
61 
Thus one is limited in his observations to the few points, where during low water it becomes 
practicable to reach from the sandy shore some rocky promontory ; and even under the 
best circumstances I was always restricted to that part of the coast on which the frigate 
anchored, for no amount of promises and offers could induce the natives to undertake longer 
trips with their canoes, neither was it possible to obtain a boat from the frigate at my 
disposal. I hope that other geologists, who may in future visit these islands, will be more 
successful in this respect. 
My observations were therefore confined to the following places 
1. North-western, coast of Car-Nicobar. —A low precipitous coast accessible along 
its entire extent. Thick clay beds, with some more solid strata of sandstone, containing 
Fucoids, are on this coast overlaid by upheaved coral banks (coral conglomerate and coral 
sandstone); these are in some places still in direct communication with living coast reefs. 
2. Southern Bay of Car-Nicobar. —Flat coral ground with fringing reefs, and at 
the breakers banks of a recent sandstone. 
3. Novara Bay on the icest coast of Tillangchong. —Precipitously rising cliffs of 
serpentine and gabbro conglomerate; at the breakers’ coast reefs. 
4. Channel between Camort a and Nancowry, or the Nancowry Haven. —A deep 
transverse cleft through yellow clay-marls containing magnesia, alternating' with beds of ser¬ 
pentine and gabbro traps, and pierced through by serpentine and gabbro. A long stretching 
coral reef formation exists in the channel, but coral ground is very limited. 
5. The small islands Trice and Track, north of Little Nicobar; precipitously 
upheaved; clayey sandstone beds with imbedded pieces of bituminous brown coal; coral and 
conglomerate banks and fringing reefs. 
6. Fulo Milu, —A small island on the north side of Little Nicobar, consisting of 
strongly raised sandstone beds, with flat coral ground, fresh water alluvium, and fringing 
reefs round the whole island. 
7. Island Kondul on the north side of Great Nicobar. —Sandstone, sandy slates, 
and beds of clay-marl alternating with each other, flat coral ground of very limited extent, 
fresh water alluvium, and fringing reefs. 
8. A small bay on the northern coast of Great Nicobar. —Sandstone hills, salt-and 
brackish-water swamps. 
9. Fast side of the southern bay (Galathea Bay) of Great Nicobar, in which 
flows the Galathea river; sandstone mountains; flat coral ground, coral and conglomerate 
formation at the level of the breakers, fringing reefs ; pebbles of bituminous coal on the strand. 
These places are, with the exception of Car-Nicobar, the same as were seen by the 
Danish geologist Dr. Bank, accompanying the expedition of the Danish Corvette Galathea 
in 1846, and were, beside many others in the Archipelago, visited by him during a stay 
of four months, described in a special work.* 
As to scientific inquiry, I left the Nicobars quite unsatisfied in spite of the comparatively 
long time of one month which we spent in their waters ; I know well how little my own obser¬ 
vations increase the geological knowledge of the islands, for which we are indebted"to Dr. Rink ; 
for just the grandest objects, the islands Terressa, Little and Great Nicobar remained 
tor me totally a terra incognita. But I am conscious to nave done every thing that it was 
possible to do under the circumstances, and in this point of view the tew observations I can 
offer must be criticised. 
Car-Nicobar is a low island, the average height of which above the level of the sea 
amounts to about 45 feet; only two ridges, which may be from 180 to 200 feet high, rise in 
the interior above the forest covering nearly the whole island. The west, south, and east, 
coasts are flat and sandy, and the north-west and south-east monsoons accumulate upon 
t . m . gradually higher and higher fragments of corals and shells, which pass over the 
fringing reefs surrounding the whole island. The south coast is in part swampy, only the 
northern or t'other the north-western coast, forming the shore of the hay of Saui, is precipitous, 
allowing a view of the geological structure ot the island ; the section of this coast is given 
* pie Nikotarisdien luselu. eiue gcograpliische Sliizze, nut speeieller Beiiichsichttfrune j er Geoimosie 
Kopenliagen, 1847 (I lie Nicobar islands, a geographical sketch with special reference to geology), 
