18 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. II. 



General 

 Descripxio.v, 



— Segur Pass 



— Gddalur 

 Pass. 



— MeWr or 

 Snndaputte 

 Pass. 



The head of this pass is distant from Ootacamand four miles 

 and three-quarters, the road being fairly level. The descent 

 is about seven miles in length, though the distance from the crest 

 to the old bungalow at Segur is eight miles and one-quarter. 

 About half way down is the village of Kalhatti, with its 

 picturesque waterfall not far below. From the foot of the ghat 

 to Tippukadu on the Moyar on the Mysore frontier the distance 

 is ten miles and a half. This road is generally undulating, but 

 in some parts the gradients are as steep as 1 in 12. The Moyar 

 is crossed by a wooden bridge constructed in 1841. Near this 

 point the road into Wainad branches off. The town of Mysore by 

 this route is sixty-nine miles from Ootacamand. The road for 

 twenty-five miles passes through much dense jungle, in whichlarge 

 game abounds. The gradient of this ghat, though severe, never 

 exceeds 1 foot in 10, the average being 1 in 12. It is bridged 

 with timber structures throughout. It ia partly metalled. It 

 was constructed in 1838, and took the place of the old path by 

 Bellikal ^ further to the east. At one time it was the favorite 

 approach to the Hills by the visitors from the northern parts of 

 the Presidency and Madras. ^ It is still much used for the 

 carriage of teak and other timber to the Hills. 



This pass is so named from the village of Gudalilr, not far 

 from its base. The old trace was exceedingly rough and steep, 

 the descent being only four miles in length. The new ghat, 

 which follows mainly the northern face of a spur of the Hills, 

 was completed in the year 1868. It was traced by Captain, now 

 Colonel, Farewell, M.S.C., but the construction was left to 

 Mr. T. Browning. From the crest at Neduwattam, near the 

 Government Cinchona Plantations, to its base the distance is 

 eight miles, and from thence to Gudalur three miles. The 

 gi-adient is very easy, being in no case more than 1 in 19. It 

 has eight zigzags. The traffic on this ghat is at present light. 

 From Gudalur a road runs to the north-east, and connects this 

 line with the Segur line near Tippukadu, a distance of eleven 

 miles. 



This pass was constructed next in order to the Kotagiri Ghat, 

 about the year 1828. It was at one time much used by passen- 

 gers from the Southern and Western districts. From the village 

 of Sandaputte, at its foot westwards up the Bhavani Valley, 

 runs the very ancient track to Manarghat and Calicut, crossing 

 the ridge near the gorge known as the Silent Valley, which lies 

 between two spurs of the Kunda range. Eastwards a path runs 

 down the left bank of the Bhavani to Mettapollium, thence to 



1 i.e., white rock : der. belli (Kar.), white, l<al (Tarn.), rock. 



2 Lord Macaulay joiirncyed to the Ilills by this route. See his Life. 



