INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 125 



mountains west of Dindigal, the Animalaya south of Coim- 

 bator, the Shevaghiri mountains south-west of Madura, and 

 the ranges near Courtalam, are all well-known as the scenes 

 of Dr. Wight's indefatigable labours, which have extended to 

 Cape Comorin itself in this direction. 



There are few botanical features of Travancor not common 

 to both Ceylon and Malabar in general. Nutmegs, coffee, and 

 cinnamon flourish at Courtalam. The remarkable Palm, Ben- 

 tinckia, so common on its mountains, is however not known 

 in Ceylon. The other Palms are Caryota urens, an Areca, 

 Phcenia? farinifera, and one or two species of Calamus. 



Nilghiri and Kurg Mountains. — To the north of the 

 Coimbator valley, this part of the peninsular chain rises ab- 

 ruptly to 8000 feet elevation as the Nilghiri range, and is 

 continued northward as the mountains of Kurg at nearly the 



same elevation. 



are steen and 



- .w 



wooded ; above that they form undulating grassy tabl 

 with scattered bushes and copsewood, from which low 

 hills arise, of which Dodabetta, the loftiest of the rai 

 tains 8429 feet. 



^ To the west and south, the Nilghiri mountains are precipi- 

 tous ; to the east, long transverse ranges covered with dense 

 forest are given off, enclosing the lofty valleys of Mysore. 



The rain-fall, which is excessive to the westward, is much 

 diminished before reaching the axis of the chain : at Doda- 

 betta it is 100 inches ; and at Utacamand only 64 inches. 

 The seasons are uniform throughout the year, the cold never 

 being extreme, though frosts do occur in clear winter nights. 

 The following abstract (which we borrow from Gardner) will 

 afford a few data as to the temperatures of certain positions 

 and elevations : — 



Alt. Mean temp. 



Dinhetty 6166 feet 640 



Kotaghery .... 6407 „ 634 



Utacamand' .... 7197 „ 61*0 



Dodabetta .... 8429 560 



