26 Coffee Planting. 



Mysore. It is a native state, the administration 

 being controlled by a European officer or super- 

 intendent, who is responsible to the Supreme 

 Government at Calcutta. Its capital, Mercara, or 

 as it is pronounced by the natives, "Mudkerry," 

 is situated about 4500 feet above the sea, and 

 contains a travellers' bungalow, several European 

 residences, a fort garrisoned by native infantry, 

 Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, and a 

 very considerable bazaar. Mercara is planted on 

 the very summit of the mountain, being approached 

 by three excellent carriage roads, one from the 

 coast via Veerajenderpett (Tellicherry and Can- 

 nanore being equally fifty miles distant), another 

 from Mangalore, also distant fifty miles, and the 

 third from Mysore. 



There are several coffee estates in the immediate 

 vicinity of Mercara, while within a few miles on the 

 slopes of the hills lie thousands of acres of planta- 

 tions, whose area is constantly being increased. 



Labour is drawn chiefly from the Mysore, as is 

 the case in the Wynaad, but is cheaper and more 

 abundant, the district being apparently preferred 

 by the Canarese to the latter one, owing, no doubt, 

 to the cheapness of food grains. 



The lower parts of the district are covered with 

 bamboo jungle interspersed with forest trees, the 

 higher lands being clothed with a dense and 



