148 FLORA INDTCA. 



the river Mhai (Mhye), which discharges its waters into the 

 Gulf of Cambay, draining the whole of the western part of 

 Malwah. This river is not separated by any very marked 

 watershed from the basin of the Chambal, the sources of both 

 rivers being in low hills, scarcely rising above the level of the 

 table-land. 



The Vindhia hills descend very abruptly on the south into 

 the valley of the Nerbada, but slope very gently to the north- 

 ward. The table-land of Malwah to the north is on the 

 whole level, without any high ranges of mountains, but its 

 surface is diversified with small conical or table -topped hills, 

 and occasional low ridges. The general level of the crest ot 

 ghats, or passages by which the roads ascend from the valley 

 of the Nerbada, is about 2000 feet, and it is but rarely that 

 the ridge rises to a greater elevation. Jamghat, south of 

 Mhow, is, according to Malcolm, 2328 feet, and Shaizgarh, 

 Royle tells us, is 2628. The gentle nature of the slope to- 

 wards the north may be learned by a comparison of the eleva- 

 tions of Saugor (2050 feet), Mhow (2019 feet), Indore (1998 

 feet), Ujain (1698 feet), and Mahidpur (1600 feet), as given 

 by Malcolm. Nimacli (Neemuch) still further north, but to 

 the west of the Chambal river, and close to the watershed se- 

 parating it from the Mhai, is only 1476 feet above the level 

 of the sea, or not more than 800 feet above Gwalior and Agra* 

 the lowest part of the platform of the Ganges in the direction 

 in which the Chambal flows. Bhopawer, in the Mhai basin, 

 but close to the crest of the Vindhia range, is 1836 feet. 



The table-land of Malwah is in general highly cultivated, 

 the soil being rich and productive, the climate mild and moist 

 during the hot season, and the surface well watered by nu- 

 merous rivers and copious streamlets, all of which have their 

 sources in the crest of the Vindhia hills. The rains, which set 

 in early in June, with the south-west monsoon from the Bom- 

 bay sea, and continue till September, are copious, especially m 

 the southern aud western parts of the province, the average 

 rain-fall in the valley of the Nerbada being rather lose than 



