﻿HINDUSTAN". 



HINDUSTAN. 



of three distinct ranges — the Vindhya Mountains, the Sautpoora 

 Mountains, and the northern declivity of the tableland of the Deccau, 

 which has no general name, but may be called the Northern Ghauts. 

 Between these three ranges lie the two parallel valleys of the Nerbudda 

 and Tapty. 



The Northern Ghauts begin about 22° N. lat., between 78° and 79° 

 E. long., with the high lands ou whose eastern declivity the upper 

 branches of the Wurdah, an affluent of the Godavery, and on whose 

 western d-clivity those of the Tapty, rise. These mountain masses 

 have probably an elevation of 4000 feet above the sea, and send off a 

 very distinct and elevated range westward between the two upper 

 branches of the Tapty. This range rises to the height of 4000 feet 

 near the foi-treas of Gawulgur. The remainder of the Northern 

 Ghauts lies in a general westerly du-ection along the southern side of 

 the valley of the Tapty, and joins the Western Ghauts west of 74° 

 K long. The range rises with a very steep ascent from the valley of 

 the Tapty, where it seems to be between 2000 and 3000 feet high ; 

 but its descent on the south is short and easy, the table land of the 

 Deccan being only about 500 feet lower than the range. 



The Western Ghauts, which constitute the boundary of the table- 

 land of the Deccan towards the Indian Ocean, begin about 10 miles 

 from the southern bank of the Tapty and about 60 miles from the 

 sea-shore. Somewhat north of the parallel of Bombay the range 

 approaches within about 30 miles. The Western Ghauts continue to 

 run from north to south generally at a distance of from 20 to 30 

 miles from the shore, but sometimes coming close to it, and forming 

 a high coast. The range terminates a little south of the parallel of 

 Calicut, about 11° N. lat., where it constitutes the northern border of 

 the Gap of Coimbatore. This range vanes considerably in elevation. 

 North of Bombay it is stated not to exceed 3000 feet in height, and 

 to be only about 1000 feet above the table-land on the east. South 

 of Bombay it rises higher, and about 18° N. lat. haa an elevation of 

 about 5000 feet. Opposite Qoa (15° 30' N. lat.) the mountains are 

 traversed by a pass which is only 2477 feet high, and hardly more 

 elevated than the contiguous plains of Darwar. Opposite Bednore 

 (south of 14° N. lat.) the mountains rise to 4000 feet, and they se'm 

 to continue with this elevation to 13° 42' N. lat., south of which they 

 riiie to between 5000 and 6000 feet in the alpine region of Coorg, 

 and at their termination they probably are not much lower. The 

 width of the Western Ghauts is inconsiderable, and, if the spurs be 

 excluded, perhaps nowhere except towards the southern extremity 

 exceeds 12 miles. 



The rapidity with which the Western Ghauts descend to the sea 

 renders it very di6Bcult to ascend the table-land of the Deccan on the 

 west side. The mountain passes, or ghauts, are not numerous, and 

 most of them are not passable for beasts of burden. One of the most 

 frequented is the HoBso Angady Qhnut, which keeps up the commercial 

 communication between Bednore and Mani^'alore. 



The Western Ghauts, which are the abrupt and elevated edges by 

 which the table-laud of the Deccan descends towards the Indian Ocean, 

 are entirely covered with thick forests of tall trees, except in a few 

 places where the rocky masses are too steep to permit any accumu- 

 lation of earth. In all other parts the mountains are covered with a 

 thick layer of earth, capable of maintaining a vigorous vegetation. 

 Many of the trees are very valuable. On the upper parts are forests 

 of bamboo. Lower down the sandal-wood tree is abundant, and 

 supplies an important article of exportation to China, Japan, &c. The 

 middle of the range is occupied by forests of teak. During the rainy 

 season the teak timber is floated down to the harbours on the coast, 

 especially to Mangalore, and is thence conveyed to the other ports of 

 Uindnstan. It is said that on these mountains slone in Hindustan 

 suidal-wood grows, and that it occurs only between 12° and 14° 

 N. lat 



The whole of the narrow coast which intervenes between the Western 

 Qhauta and the Indian Sea is sometimes comprehended under the 

 name of Malabar. But the northern part of it, as far south as 15° 

 N. lat., is called the Concan ; the middle part, between 15° and 12° 3' 

 N. lat., Canara ; and only the southern part, as far as Cape Comorin, 

 is properly named Malabar. The surface of this narrow tract is never 

 entirely level except along the sea-shore, and to a distance at the 

 utmost of five miles from it. This level tract is covered with sand, 

 and overgrown with cocoa-palms. Near the termination of the low 

 hills, which are offsets of the Ghauts, the soil is better, and is planted 

 with rice. The sandy coast is indented with numerous small inlets, 

 which during the rainy season are the receptacles of torrents. The 

 ■mall valleys which lie farther inland between the low range.s of hills 

 are converted into swamps by the abundant rains, but when the water 

 baa mn off they are cultivated, and give very rich crops of rice. On 

 the side* of the hills which separate these valleys from one another 

 are numerous villages, inclosed by extensive plantations of fruit-trees. 

 The tope of the hills are level, but dry and naked. 



The mean annual temperature at Bombay is about 80°. No kind 

 of grain is cultivated except rice, for the growth of which no artificial 

 irrigation is required, as the soil is saturated by the abundant rains. 

 This country contains a great variety of fruit-trees, especially different 

 kinds of palms ; the ooooa-palms especially cover an immense tract of 

 land along the wa-oout. The sugar-cane is also extensively cultivated. 

 Cattle and batEaloM are the only domestic animals, and both are dis- 



tinguished by their lai-ge size. Wild elephants are numerous; and 

 also tigers, leopards, hyaenas, and jackals. 



This maritime tract, as far south as 10° 45' N. lat, is British terri- 

 tory, except the portion between 15° and 16° N. lat., comprising the 

 Portuguese territory of Goa and that of the Raja of Sawuut Warree, 

 and the towns of Mah^ and Damaun, of which tiie first belongs to the 

 French and the second to the Portuguese. The English possessions 

 north of 16° N. lat. are annexed to the presidency of Bombay, and 

 those south of 15° N. lat. to that of Madras. Damaun, the Portuguese 

 settlement (20° 22' N. lat), has lost much of its commerce since the 

 rise of Bombay. It lies nearly halfway between Surat and Bombay, 

 and has a safe haibour for vessels of small size, there bi-ing 17 feet of 

 water over the bar. Farther south is Bombay. In 17° 55' N. lat. is 

 the town of Baiicole, or Fort Victoria, with 14,000 inhabitants. It 

 has a harbour for small vessels, and carries on a considerable trade 

 with Poona and Sattara. Goa, the Portuguese settlement, is situated 

 in 15° 30' N. lat, nn an island about 24 miles in circumference, formed 

 by the river Mandova. The ancient city, which is now deserted by 

 all its inhabitants except a few miserable ecclesiastics, was once a 

 splendid and populous place. The new town, to which the name of 

 Panjim has been given, stands five miles nearer the sea than the 

 ancient city. It is well built, and has from 18,000 to 20,000 inhabit- 

 ants, if ani^a/ore is a thriving town. [Canara.] Cananore (11° 52' 

 N. lat) is built at the end of a small lake, which is one of the best 

 harbours on this coast. It has some commerce with Arabia and the 

 harbours of Hindustan, and contains about 10,000 inhabitants. 

 Tellkherry (11° 44' N. lat.), which was long the chief settlement of 

 the English on the coast of Malabar, but has since been neglected, has 

 still a considerable commerce in the produce of the country — coir, 

 sjindal-wood, cai'damoms, pepper, cassia, and cocoa-nuts : the popula- 

 tion is about 5000. Mah( (11° 42' N. lat.), the only French settlement 

 on this coast, has a harbour for small vessels and 6000 inhabitants. 

 It is rather well built, and principally expoi-ts pepper. Farther south 

 is the town of Calicut. 



The mountain ranges which support the table-land of the Deccan 

 on the south were scarcely known till within the last thirty years. 

 They cover by far the greatest part of the space contained between 

 11° and 12° N. lat, 76° and 79° E. long. The western portion is 

 occupied by the Nilgherry Mountains, which ai'e well known to 

 Europeans resident in India as aUbrding them the climate and pro- 

 ductions of Europe at a distance of only 11 degrees from the equator. 

 These mountains are connected with the southern extremity of the 

 Western Ghauts ; they extend between 76° 26' and 77° 20' E. long., 

 and between 11° 10' and 11° 35' N. lat, so that their length from west 

 to east is more than 60 miles, and their width about 30 miles. All 

 thiii space is occupied by one mass of high land, unbroken by ravines 

 or deep valleys, but consisting of a succession of gentle ascents, with 

 tracts of level ground between them. The lowest pai-ta of these level 

 tracts are estimated to have an elevation of from 5000 to 6000 feet. 

 Through the centre of this region there runs a lofty ridge, containing 

 various summits, the highest of which, nearly in the middle of the 

 whole mountain mass, the Dodabetta Peak, is 8429 feet above the 

 level of the sea. The surface of this region is a fex'tile soil overgrown 

 with a green sward of grass and several kiuds of alpine herbs where it 

 is not cultivated. The excellent climate on these heights has led to 

 the establishment of several sanitary stations, in which Europeans 

 may re-establish their health when impaired by a long residence iu 

 the hot countries. One of these European settlements is at Utaka- 

 mund, 7000 feet above the sea, at the foot of the Dodabetta Peak. 

 The mean annual temperature at Utakamund is 56°, and consequently 

 28 degrees less than at Madras. The thermometer sometimes rises 

 to 69°, and has been observed to descend as low as 20°, but very 

 rarely. The changes in the temperature are slow, and the difierence 

 in 24 hours hardly exceeds 2 degrees. Moderate rains occur all the 

 year round, but more dming the south-west than during the north- 

 east monsoon. Frost occurs between September and April, but it is 

 moderate ; the thickest ice does not exceed an inch and a half in 

 thicknes-s. Agriculture is limited to wheat, barley, millet, peas, and 

 European vegetables. The fruit-trees of England succeed everywhere, 

 and are frequently seen covered with blossoms and fruits in all stages 

 at the same time. Oranges grow only in the lower districts. No 

 animals are kept, except cattle and buffaloes ; sheep, goats, deer, and 

 hogs are found in a wild state. Game abounds everywhere. To the 

 south this hilly table-land descends with a steep slope to the Gap of 

 Coimbatore, from which it is divided by the river Bhovany. The 

 deep valley through which the small river Moyar runs along its 

 northern side separates it from the table-laud of Mysore. The slopes 

 on all sides are wooded, and it is only here that the animals of the 

 tropical regions, as tigers, leopards, and elephants, are found. North- 

 east of the Nilgherry Mountains is another mountain mass, which 

 occupies nearly the whole space between the Cavery and the Bhovany, 

 an affluent of the Cavery, as far west as 77° E. long. Very little is 

 known of these mountains, buyond the fact that they occupy more 

 than twice the space of the Nilgherry Mountains, and that some of 

 their loftiest summits rise to a height of more than 5000 feet. 



The river Cavery, which for about one-fourth of its course drains 

 the table-land of the Deccan, for nearly the same space winds between 

 high mountains, and for the remainder runs through a level plain. 



