[VOL. II. 
•52 .Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
in the sketch PI. 4. Fig. I,—Eastern shore of the Bay of Sam. 1, Loose coral and shell- 
sand : 2, Dead coral-banks: 3, Indurated rock-beds of dead corals and shell-sand: 4, Plas¬ 
tic-clay with bands of sandstone,— 
The eastern shore of the bay gradually rises from north towards south up to a height of 
about CO feet,, and includes two small lateral bays in which massive banks of a gray clay crop 
out below uphe; rud coral banks which form the projecting corners of the eliif. 'it is very 
characteristic that the boundary of the calcareous and clay strata on the surface of the coast 
terrace is at the same time a sharp limit of vegetation, inasmuch as on the clayey ground the 
cocoa-palm is replaced by Pandanus, Casnarina and grass, forming locally quite extensive 
s-r.'.st.y plains. The clay deposits, without any distinct stratification, show a cubical cleavage. 
Tye pa. .ailing color is light-gray, only single bands are darker colored, others are ferru¬ 
ginous, containing numerous clay-ironstone nodules. The day is a little calcareous, effer¬ 
vescing with acids. In the southern lateral bay also appears between the clay beds a 
more solid stratum from two to 1 hree feet thick, and from its projecting part larger 
and smaller plates are broken off. On one of these plates I observed the impression 
of a large species of Fucus (Chondrites Nikoharensis , Hochst.) The strike of the strata 
is from south-south-east to north-north-west in both bays, the greatest thickness observable 
in the strata amounts to 20 or 30 feet. This clay deposit on the northern coast of Car- 
Nicobav is characterised as a marine formation by the numerous Foraminifera which it 
contains, hut I did not succeed in finding any recognizable remains of Mottusca, except 
indistinct and badly preserved bivalves (Pdecypoda).* 
Farther towards the south, the clay beds again sink under the level ol' the soa, and in their 
place again appear coral banks, the precipitous coast becoming constantly higher, but at the 
same time gradually more inaccessible. On this coast the sea has washed out deep hollows, 
and the coral-banks are overlaid by massive banks of a white rock consisting of shell and coral 
sand, and being rather soft on the weathered surface. On the Areoa river, in the innermost 
corner of the bay of Saui, the plateau of about 60 feet rapidly terminates with a fault, and 
the southern shore of the bay only exhibits a flat sandy strand richly overgrown with cocoa 
trees, being at the same time illicitly populated. Judging from a few lumps in the 
grave] which I found on the northern as well as on the southern side, I conclude that there 
is somewhere in the interior of the island a gray fine-grained sandstone with little flakes 
of white mica and also a compact limestone in situ. The natives use the sandstone from the 
gravels as grinding stones. 
Batty Waive is a small rocky island with precipitous shores all round. It, rises on the 
south-eastern ^ and eastern side in two terraces to about 150 feet. On the western and north¬ 
western side, it runs into a low flat cliff; judging from a distance of two or three nautical 
miles—we did not come nearer—the island is inaccessible. The extreme shore seemed to be 
covered with grass only, the interior was a low jungle, the crown of cocoa-palm being here 
and there visible at its margin. Only opposite Car-Nicobar can the island give an 
impression of a “ relatively bare rock,” as Steen Billet says.—The rocks to be found on the 
island are most probably the same as those of Car-Nicobar. 
Tillanrjchong , situated opposite Car-Nicobar, is a narrow mountainous island with 
precipitous cliff's, stretching from north-west towards south-east; it consists of two ragged 
mountain ranges separated by a depression of only 30 feet in depth. Where, on the south-east 
side, both ranges meet, a deep bay is formed, which during the north-west monsoon offers an 
excellent place for anchorage. The less precipitous south-western coast is accompanied by a 
few rooky cliffs, while the north-eastern coast is highly precipitous all along the shore. The 
highest hills are situated in the northern part of the island, apparently rising to an elevation 
of about 500 feet. Serpentine and gabbro form no doubt the great mass of the island.—PI. 4, 
Fig. 2.— South-east coast of Tillanchong. 1, Coral-rocks; 2, Serpentine and Gabbro; 3, 
Breccia; 4, Sharply elevated rock-beds.— 
In the small bay on the south-western coast, the Novara bay, in which the frigate was 
lying at anchor for a few hours, the irregular and cliffed-like shores are composed of common 
r* T t/° c 2, cscr ’P'’ on the very well preserved Foraminifera from the above described clayey beds was undertaken 
by I>i\ Iv. Sch wager. His very valuable paper will be appended to this chapter of the Nicobar Islands, and for 
tarther results I here refer ta this paper. 
t Captain Steen Bille was Commander of the Danish ship Galathea.—T. 0. 
