132 



FLORA INDICA. 



The district of Coimbator has, like that of Salem, so many 

 peculiar features, as to call for a special notice. It lies oppo- 

 site the great gap in the Peninsular chain already so often re- 

 ferred to, and is conterminous with Malabar. Between the 

 southern slopes of the Nilghiri mountains, and the northern 

 face of those of Travaneor, there is interposed a space of about 



Across that de- 



width 



pression, the south-west monsoon has almost a free passage 



mountains 



and 



district, cause the monsoon wind to pass over without depo- 

 siting much of its moisture, and, though the climate is humid, 

 the rain-fall is very trifling. During the north-east monsoon 



My 



moisture 



would otherwise reach this district. Coimbator ,is thus re- 

 markable for the very small annual amount of rain, which i- 

 not more than twenty-one inches. 



The district of Tanjor, which comprises the delta of the 

 river Cavery, appears to present no remarkable features be- 

 yond those common to all tropical deltas. Its climate ' 

 more humid and cool than the remainder of the Carnatic, 

 chiefly owing to the swampy soil. 



The extreme southern portion of the Carnatic, including the 

 districts of Madura and Tinnevelly, is separated from the re- 

 mainder by a lofty transverse range of mountains, which runs 

 from west to east, passing to the south of Dindigal. These 

 mountains, which at their eastern extremity, where they are 

 called Pulney (Palnai) mountains, are 6000-8000 feet in height, 

 gradually diminish in elevation to the eastward. About five 

 miles south of Dindigal the Serroo Mullay (Sent Malaya) 

 hills, rise to 3500 feet, and the range sinks, about twenty 

 miles to the eastward of Dindigal, into the plain of the Car- 

 natic. This range of hills insulates in a very remarkable 

 manner the districts to the south of it, which are sheltered 

 from the south-west monsoon bj the high mountains of '1 l ' 

 vaucor on the west, and from the north-east monsoon bj tiii- 



