( 4 ) 
Barren Island is an active volcano about 50 miles distant from Port 
Blair, and already too well known to need any further remarks upon it. 
Diversity of soil. 
Narhondam Island from N. TV, \ TV., seen from a distance of about 20 miles, 
Narcondam Island has an extinct volcano remarkable for the great height 
of its cone, being twice as high as the outer wall. Owing to the great height 
of the cone (perhaps 2,000 feet) in proportion to the surrounding wall, this 
island must have sunk very much, or the volcano must have been formed 
from a considerable depth in the sea. 
6. The diversity of soil, considering the smallness of the islands, is great. 
Generally, however, the different kinds of soils 
may be brought under the three following heads, 
which correspond with the three principal formations, viz. 
L— 1 The brick-colored soil, extending over the decomposed serpentine rocks. 
2. —The yellowish clay, following the sansdstone formation, and therefore the most 
extensive and important kind of soil. 
3. —A greyish or blackish soil, characterised by the considerable quantity of silicious 
particles it contains, and covering the indurated ehloritic or green stone rock. A black 
humous soil is predominant in the level valleys, especially along the eastern coasts and 
on Termoklee Island, where the hupp alee trees grow beautifully. 
According to the greater or smaller amount of moisture, these different 
kinds of soil are more or less mingled with decayed vegetable matter, and 
accordingly are more or less fertile. 
7. No veins of metals have been observed during my excursions on 
South Andaman and the southern part of Middle 
Andaman. Oxide of iron is indicated everywhere, 
as already mentioned, by the rusty color of some sandstones and other rocks; 
and iron pyrites not unfrequently occur in the ehloritic and serpentine rocks. 
8. When approaching the Middle Straits from the south, a narrow reef 
Probable sinking state of the Anda- can be observed (Barren Beef) at the entrance of 
man islands.* the same, extending into the sea from South 
Andaman in a nearly easterly direction. This reef is covered with dead and 
bleached trees, variously damaged by the influence of storms and weather. 
The first impression is accordingly that all these trees have been destroyed by 
the influence of the north-east monsoon. I observed, however, the same 
phenomenon along the whole length of the Straits, both on the reefs as well as in 
the mangrove swamps. Old trunks appeared from time to time in the sea, with 
their roots still attached to the ground.f This induced me to examine this 
peculiar feature more carefully, and I landed for this purpose at different places 
on both coasts of South and Middle Andaman. Some of the stumps of the trees 
proved to belong to such species as never grow in the mangrove swamps, nor 
in any locality such as that in which they are now standing. They appeared 
to me to belong to Pongamia , JErythrina , Thespesia , and even to Mimusops 
Indica , accompanied by other strongly buttressed trunks. Also stumps of 
Metals. 
* In Darwin’s Map the Andamans are noted as “ rising” on account of the fringing reefs and vulcanisra. 
f I find also the same phenomenon recorded in the Report of the Andaman Committee (Records of the Government 
©f India, XXV., section 167). 
