4
TRA hA1VCORR STA TE
the whole forming a water communication extending to a length of
zoo miles. The largest of these are those of Kâyankulam and the
Vembanad. The latter is 3z miles long and g miles broad, covering
an area of qq square miles. A few fresh-water lakes exist in the State,
the two largest being at Vella.ni near Trivandrum and Sâsthânkotta
near Quilon.
Only the southern and western parts of the State have been geologi-
cally surveyed. The Ghâts consist of old crystalline rocks, which are
splendidly displayed in the south. The lowest sedimentary rock is
a grey fossiliferous limestone found round about Quilon, which is the
only one of the kind yet known in the Presidency. From the fossils it
contains, it alapears to be of eocene age. Resting upon it is a series of
variegated sands and clays, underlaid 1>y carbonaceous clays or shales
and lignites and capped by laterite, which is known as the 1Varkalli
(VnxxxaLLnr) series from the village of that name not far from Quilon.
There they form a line of cliff's on the sea face extending along the
coast for a distance of z z miles. Petrologically, they resemble the
Cuddalore sandstones, and their colouring is often very beautiful. The
laterite of Travancore, which occurs largely in a belt of country extend-
ing along the coast for many miles, is twofold in character. In places
it is a superficial rock formed by the decomposition of the gneissic
rocks ; in others it is a true laterite formed of débris washed down from
higher levels. The latter is typically developed in the neighbourhood
of Kottayam, where it is largely used as a building material. Along the
coast are white sand-dunes and areas of red sand or teri. These last
stand high, though close to the coast, and are a well-known landmark for
mariners. Westward of Cape Comorin are a few fringing reefs of dead
coral. A phenomenon which has given rise to no small discussion is
the remarkable mud-bank lying in the sea 6 miles south of ALLEPPEV.
This is about 4 miles long by r z wide, and is affected by tidal action.
It operates in a remarkable way to prevent the formation of waves ; the
soft oily mud mingles with the sea-water when the heavy ocean waves
touch the bank, and so smothers their crests that the water inside the
bank is quite smooth and forms an admirable anchoragec The supply
of mud is supposed to be renewed by being forced out below the banks
by the weight of the water in the flooded backwaters and streams of
the mainland. Another curious point about this anchorage is that the
amount of fresh water brought down by the streams and falling in
the heavy rains of this coast is so great that it lies on the surface of
the heavier sea-water to a considerable depth, and sailors can obtain
drinking-water by letting down a bucket from the side of their ship
into the sea around them.
The great differences which occur in the altitude of the State have
naturally resulted in a large variation in. its flora. Generally speaking,
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