122 FLORA INDICA. 



collecting when travelling, to bear upon the rich materials 

 collected by his predecessors and himself. His exertions 

 have already given him a prominent position amongst Indian 

 botanists ; and from his continued labours we hope to see the 

 Cingalese Flora fully illustrated in an economical and bota- 



nical point of view. 



2. Malabar. 



We shall employ this term in its widest signification, and 

 as usually applied by older geographers, to designate the 

 whole of the narrow belt of country (rarely above fifty miles 

 broad) west of the great Peninsular chain, from Goa to Cape 

 Comorin : it thus includes the British district of Malabar, be- 

 sides Canara and Kurg to the north of it, and the kingdoms 

 of Cochin and Travancor to the south. The eastern political 

 boundaries of these districts correspond nearly, but not uni- 

 formly, with the crest of the mountains ; and though some 



are included politically in the provinces 



arnatir* we shall nnnsirlfvr them all as C 



province botan 



Malabar is in general hilly and mountainous; a narrow 



in 



reach 



t- water creeks, and covered with Cocoa 

 are thrown off as spurs from the main 



valleys 



rapidly rise to the east, where they join the chain. 



The climate of Malabar is characterized by extreme humi- 

 dity, and an abundant rain-fall during the south-west mon- 

 soon, when the temperature seldom rises above 75° (the mean 

 of the year being 81°) . In many parts the rains commence 

 as early as the middle of March, but rarely become heavy 

 till May, continuing thenceforward incessant till October, an 



than one hundred 



In 



«~ _«« __ _ .c^x-fall is less considerable; at Quilon 

 77 inches, and at Trivandram 65 inches, probably from the 



