CHAP. XXVI. 



Madras Presidency. 



us at a foot's pace. It is too rough a road to ride any faster in the 

 dark. Directly it dawned, we called a halt, and put the boats in, and 

 fished alternate pools downwards to the fordj to which our horses 

 meanwhile walked, ready to carry us thence to a late breakfast about 

 twelve. In the afternoon we fished the river downwards from the ford 

 till dusk, and rode home. In December, the river is fordable in one 

 place near the Tekampatti camp, and that is the Puthur ford, but you 

 must take it circuitously the way you are shown. 



The distances, as nearly as we could ascertain and judge by timing 

 ourselves,, were : 



The Taimalai brook is crossed just below Perali, on the Nirali side. 

 Thence the road ascends a steep incline, and crosses cultivation at the 

 top of the hill, which belongs to Perali. Thence the road strikes down 

 by an easy path to the most magnificent pools and runs you may wish 

 to set eyes on. They are in the midst of the wildest, forest-clad, rocky 

 country, and the water is crowded with grand Mahseer, as Paddy would 

 say, " the wathur's stiff with 'em." But don't dream of sleeping there. 

 I slept as high up as Sittuguni, we being a jolly Christmas party of five 

 Europeans, but every man John of us, black and white, got a thorough- 

 going fever, some being very seriously ill indeed, and we lost one poor 

 fellow of our number from it, in spite of all the good doctor could do 

 for him at Madras. We had been told it was safe at that season. 

 Don't you be tempted to sleep higher up than Tekampatti ; there 

 friends and self, and natives, have slept again and again with immunity. 



Just a little above Kadukai or Kadavu, which means a ford, is the 

 lowest large pool, just below a waterfall, where you will find Mahseer. 

 Above that pool they swarm, below it you will get splendid pools in 

 abundance, but only Carnatic Carp. At least the Mahseer below it, 

 seem to be so comparatively few, and the Carnatic Carp so many, that 



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