MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 7 



adds greatly to its beauty. Its form is serpentine or sinuous, the CIIAP. I. 

 bends being caused by the projecting spurs of the hills on either general 

 side. Its length is about two miles and a half, its breadth from De scriptio n. 

 three to four hundred yards. A road follows the windings of its 

 banks throughout and forms the principal drive of the station, its 

 length being nearly eight miles. 



Owing to their peculiar conformation, there are few, if any, Valleys, 

 true valleys among the Nilagiris. The base of one hill rises so 

 close to that of another, that the space between them more often 

 resembles a narrow ravine or hollow, than a true valley. A level 

 space is still more rare. The principal localities to which the 

 term has been applied, and which possess at least some of the 

 requisite characteristics, are the Nanjandd, the Kunda, the 

 Paikare, the Kaity, the Arvenkad, and the Orange Valleys. 



The Nanjanad valley on the upper plateau, lying south-west 

 of Ootacamand, takes its name from a village on its western slope. 

 Its head is a ravine formed by two spurs of Doddabetta, and 

 known as Lovedale. It gradually opens out, and stretches for 

 some miles in the direction of the Avalanche^ valley. It is 

 watered by a tributary of the Paikar6 and consists, mainly, of 

 undulating stretches of grazing land. 



The valley of the Kunda river, which in its descent to the 

 low comitry, forms a deep gorge, is, in its upper stretch, very 

 similar in character to the Nanjanad, though its slopes are more 

 steep. There is some cultivated land in this valley, and some tea 

 estates are being opened out in it. 



The Paikare river gives its name to the valley which follows the 

 line of the lower slopes of the Nidumale range. Its most 

 remarkable features are the broad reaches, referred to above, of the 

 river which are found here and there in the wider openings, and 

 are supposed to be the beds of ancient lakes. This and the Kiinda 

 valley are favorite grazing grounds of the Todas. 



The Kaity valley, which forms the upper basin of the Kateri 

 river, lies to the south of the Doddabetta range, and is enclosed 

 to the north and west by that branch of the same range which 

 runs out towards Devashola. It is of considerable extent, and 

 contains numerous thriving Badaga villages, the greater portion 

 being under cultivation. The soil is so well suited for the growth 

 of the staple Hill crops, that even the steepest hill-sides are 

 utilised by the ryots. In the lower portion of the valley stands 

 the German Mission House, surrounded by a plantation of exotic 



^ So called from the post-house formerly located here. From aval (Karn.), first, 

 a«c/i,e'(Karii.), stage or post. The name has nothing to do with the apocryphal 

 , avalanche or landslip said by Mr. Blandford to have occurred in the neighbour- 

 f hood. — Blandford's Gcoloqirnl Mevwir. 



