96 
the South of India. Among these are the Salem and Nulghemy | 
mountains, which rise to the height of nearly eight choot 
feet above the sea; Hynaud; the Malabar coast; and, lastly, —— 
the whole range of mountains, extending from Cape Comorin E 
to Dendyghal and Pautgaut, dividing the Peninsula into two a [ 
countries, differing in their aspect, and climate, and produce — E 
tions, nearly as much as India differs from the South of . 
Europe. This range forms a triangle, between sixty and — 
seventy miles broad at the base, and producing, throughout _ 
its whole extent, many of the most curious and valuable $ 
productions of the vegetable kingdom; and in such abun 
dance, that it is impossible to form an adequate idea of t f 
without viewing them. It was my intention to have carried F 
along with me the Hortus Malabaricus, and Dr. Buchanan's _ 
Travels in the Mysore, with the view of collecting and 
describing as many as possible of the plants figured L1 
the former; and making drawings. of all the little-known F 
useful plants mentioned in the latter. These more im- at 
portant objects might easily have been accomplished, while _ 
at the same time, my collections in every branch of natural. 
history might have been augmented to an unlimited extent: — 
In that time, I could have accumulated, I am convinced, nót 
fewer than from five to six thousand species of plants; thus - 
proving, by the most irresistible argument, tbe futility of. 
estimating the value (if we may use the term to express num- 
ber) of the Flora of a mountainous country by the amount 
of species gathered in the open cultivated parts of it: for such 
only are the data that Mr. Brown has had access to, when 
he estimated the Indian Flora at 4,500 species; a number, - 
which, in my opinion, will be found to fall short of the reality, by | 
nearly a half, for the country included between the latitudes - 
of Madras and Cape Comorin alone ;—if the investigation. of ; 
that part is ever undertaken by an active and enterprising - 
Botanist. I once hoped it would have fallen to my lot 19 - 
make this i arene pean but, alas! these hopes are all b | 
in the bud." 
The failure of this enterprise was caused by the dissolution 
of the only scientific establishment in the Madras Presidency: — 
