4 MANUAL or THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. I. and Snowdon its northern eminence, for the distance between 

 Generai. these two points is little over two miles. Doddabetta stands in 



Description. Lat. 11° 24' 5" 40, Long. 76' 46' 44" 39. Its height is 8,760 feet 

 above sea level, as ascertained by the Great Trigonometrical 

 Survey, 8,642 feet as calculated in 1871 by Colonel Saxton, 

 Deputy Superintendent of Topographical Survey. It is remarkable, 

 even among the mammiform hills so common on the Nilagiris, 

 for the flattened curve of its summit. The hollows of its slopes 

 are clothed with thick woods ; and rhododendron trees, though 

 somewhat stunted, are found even within a few yards of the top, 

 which is covered with thick coarse grass and flowering sub-alpine 

 shrubs and herbs. Snowdon, formerly known as Devasholabetta ^ 

 on the other hand, is almost a perfect cone, the line of its northern 

 slope, a fall of some 1,500 feet, being remarkably even, though 

 steep. Its height is 8298*9 feet, or by the Great Trigonometrical 

 Survey, 8,380 feet. 



—to the West. Standing on the Doddabetta range, and looking westward, the 

 first important eminences which meet the eye are the hills of 

 Kalklidiur2 (8002-4 feet) and Kuttakadu^ (7933-4 feet). A few 

 miles to the north lies the Paikare* Hill (7511-7 feet). Some ten 

 miles behind Kalklidiur rises Mukarte Peak (8380-3 feet, or 

 8,403 feet, G. T. S.), and a little to the north-west, the Nilagiri 

 Peak and Devar-betta, the heights of which, I believe, have not 

 been correctly ascertained, nor, owing to its precipitous character, 

 has any traveller as yet reached the summit of the former, though 

 the ascent has been attempted.^ The ascent of Mukarte is by 

 a zigzag path cut on its eastern face. Its western is an almost 

 unbroken wall-like precipice, several thousand feet in depth. A 

 little to the south-east of Mukarte is Pichulbetta (8,348 feet), the 

 northern extremity of the Kundas. Between these two peaks 

 the Paikare river takes its rise. Some four or five miles to the 

 north of Mlikarte stands Velingiri (8,246 feet). About the same 

 distance to the south is seen the K^leri (8,622 feet), and the 

 Klidikadu^ hills (8,491—8,502 feet G.T.S.) at the head of the 

 Avalanche Valley ; and about two miles further south, the cone 

 known as Derbetta (8,303—8,353 feet, G.T.S.) This hill is 



1 Deva, God, and shdla (Karn.), a wood. 



^ Lit. the village of the stone circle or temple. From Kal (Tam.), stone, hidi 

 (Karn.), a circle, a hut, a temple (see Caldwell, p. 503), and 'Ar, a village. 



3 Derived probably from Kuddan (Tam.), a hollow, and Mdu, a forest, or a 

 jungle tract. 



* Called after the river Paikare, which seems to be derived from payam 

 (Tam.), water, or river ; and harei (Tam.), a bank or boundary. It may be rendered 

 the boundary or frontier river. The name is significant. 



^ This ascent, I have learnt since writing the above, has been accomplished by 

 Mr. Frasor, Sub-Assistant, Revenue Survey. 



^ i.e., the temple tract. 



