6 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. I. 



Genekal 

 Description. 



Waterfalls. 



Lakes. 



divided from each other by rocky rapids formed by shelving 

 bands of rock on which lie loose boulders. In these pools are 

 now to be found, though rare, trout and other fish, the ova of 

 which were imported from England by the late Mr. W. Gr. Mclvor, 

 Superintendent of the Cinchona Plantations. On reaching the 

 edge of the plateau it turns to the west, and passing through the 

 Government Cinchona Plantations, falls in a succession of 

 cascades to the table-land beneath. Thence it wends its way to 

 the east, thx'ough a gorge known as the Mysore ditch, having the 

 appearance of a long deep moat, as seen from the crest of the 

 ghdts, which forms the boundary between the table-land lying at 

 the foot of the'NllagirisJand Mysore, and entering the Coimba- 

 tore country, mingles its waters with those of the Bhavani, at 

 Devanaikenkota, below Rangasami's Peak. The Bhavani, taking 

 its rise in the spot already mentioned, flows along the southern 

 base of the Hills, receiving in its course the waters of the Kunda 

 and Coonoor rivers. The former drains the south-western slopes 

 of Doddabetta and the south-eastern slopes of the Kunda range, 

 the latter rising on Doddabetta drains the whole southern face 

 of the plateau, its principal feeder being the Kateri.^ The 

 Beyp6r river is formed mainly by two streams — the Pandi and the 

 Nellambur, — which have their origin on the hill ranges to the 

 north and south of Miikarte. 



The Waterfalls^ are numerous and picturesque, though not of 

 any great depth or volume. The highest is that of Kolakambe, 

 north of the hill of that name, having an unbroken fall of about 

 400 feet. Second to this is St. Catherine's Fall (250 feet) in a 

 stream south of Kotagiri. Then follows the lower Fall of Paikare 

 (200 feet) and after it the upper (180 feet.) Of nearly the same 

 height as this latter is the Kalhatti Fall (170 feet) on the Segiir 

 Pass. The Kateri Fall in the river of the same name, six miles 

 from Ootacamand,^ is 180 feet in depth. 



There are no natural lakes in the plateau, but art has attempted 

 to supply in the neighbourhood of Ootacamandthe defects of nature. 

 In the neighbourhood of this station there are some artificial lakes 

 or reservoirs, formed by banking up the stream at a narrow 

 part of the valley. The most important is that known as the 

 Ootacamand lake, a marked feature in the station, and one which 



' Kddu (Tarn.), a forest tract, ^ri (Tain.), a river. 



2 I am indebted to Captain Freeth, of the Revenue Survey, for these measure- 

 ments. 



3 The derivation of this name is doubtful, but the most pi-obable is whotai 

 (dwarf bamboo), Icai (Tarn.), fruit, or green food, and mand. Dwarf bamboo 

 abounds in some of the shdlas near the ancient mand by the Public Gardens, still 

 known as Whatakai-mand, and this spelling of the name appears in the earliest 

 reports. The fresh shoots are eaten. Another derivation is udal-am (Tam.), water. 



