Chap. XXI. • WUNDOOR. 353 



50,000 young trees, raised in the adjacent nurseries, were 

 planted, eight feet apart, in the cleared ground near Nellam- 

 boor, along the banks of the Beypoor river, which had been 

 cleared of jungle. The seedlings are transplanted from the 

 nursery at the age of three months, and for the first seven 

 or eight years they sprout up very fast, but afterwards they 

 grow slowly. From 1843 to 1859 as many as 1,200,000 

 trees have been put down, and they are now planted at the 

 rate of 70,000 a year. Much care is required in systematic 

 thinning and pruning, and, for the superintendence of this 

 important work, an annual visit is paid to the plantations by 

 Mr. Mclvor, who is now so ably conducting the chinchona 

 experiment on the Neilgherry hills. 



We were met by IMr. Mclvor at Eddiwanna, and started 

 for the village of Wundoor, six miles distant, in munsheels 

 or hammocks, slung to bamboos with a shade over them, 

 and carried by six men, who kept up unearthly yells the 

 whole time. The road leads through rice-cultivation and 

 groves of betel-nut palms, jacks, and mangos. AVundoor is 

 a pretty village, with an avenue of sumach- trees ^ leading up 

 to the post-house or travellers' bungalow. These post-houses, 

 which are erected by the Government at easy stages along 

 all the roads in India, for the convenience of travellers, are 

 exceedingly comfortable, and render travelling in India as 

 easy and commodious as it is the reverse in Peru and other 

 parts of South America. At Wundoor the first bungalow 

 we had seen put an end to all idea of having to rough it 

 while travelling in India. The building contained several 

 clean rooms, with cane-bottora sofas, arm-chairs, and tables ; 

 and outside there was a pleasant verandah, with a glorious 

 view of the Koondah mountains, which it was necessary to 



'■* The sumach-tree (Cxsalpinia co- 

 riurlu) was inti'oduced into India froni 

 America, by Dr. Wallicli, in 1842. 



The pods are much used for tanning 

 piurposes. 



2 A 



