Chap. XXVI. SITES FOR CIIINX'HONA-PLANTATIONS. 447 



near Sispara on the Koondahs, as it is exposed to the full 

 force of the south-west monsoon, and suffers from a long 

 drought during the winter. 



The country to the north and east of IMercara is a plateau, 

 about 4500 feet above the sea, intersected by ravines full of 

 trees and underwood, amongst which I observed wild orange 

 and lime-trees, Michelias, and tree-ferns, with an undergrowth 

 of ferns, Lobelia, Ipomcea, and Solanum. The scenery is 

 charming, with grassy slopes, wooded glades, and here and 

 there a secluded hut in a grove of plantains, on the edge of a 

 small patch of rice cultivation. I also examined some of the 

 forests down the ^Fangalore ghaut. The road is excellent, 

 '»vinding with a gentle gradient through the beautiful forest 

 scener}' past numerous coffee-plantations to their port of 

 shipment at ^Mangalore. At the fourth milestone from Xer- 

 cara there is a forest extending for nearly a mile, on the left 

 of the road, at an elevation of 3800 feet above the sea. It 

 descends from the road to the bottom of the ravine, and on 

 the opposite side there are forest-covered heights of greater 

 elevation. The forest contains many tall trees, not growing 

 very close, with tree-ferns, Cinnamomum, Hymenodictyon, Mela- 

 stomacece, a Pajnlionacea with a bright yellow flower, and 

 ferns, of which I collected five kinds. The general character 

 of the flora appeared suitable for the growth of chinchona- 

 plants ; and, though this was the driest time of the year, I 

 found at least one small stream trickling down through the 

 underwood. The valley runs north-west and south-east. 



In this locality plants of C. sticcirubra would no doubt 

 flourish, and the experiment ought certainly to be tried ; 

 though, from the low elevation, the bark would probably 

 be thin, and would yield perhaps a small per-centage ot 

 alkaloids. These points, however, can only be ascertained 

 by experience gained from experimental culture. I was 

 told by Captain Eliott, the Superintendent of Coorg, that the 



