386 MANUAL OP THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT, 



CHAP. XVII. western slopes of one of the valleys at the head of the pass, only 

 ~~~ a few of the houses being built on sites commanding a view down 

 TIES AND the ravine. The Native town spreads over the lower slopes of 

 S tation s. ^^^ spurs of two hills, which, divided by a central stream and 

 bordered by two other streams on the east and west, terminate 

 in a wedge-like promontory at a point where the united waters of 

 these three streams break over the stony lip of the ghAt and rush 

 down the gorge under the name of the Coonoor river, until finally 

 the stream discharges its volume into the Kateri river. The 

 three streams are crossed by three bridges — one, an old stone 

 (laterite) structure, spans the river at the spot where it breaks 

 over the ghats ; the second, a black wooden suspension bridge, 

 crosses the eastern affluent streams to the western spur, up which 

 runs the road to Wellington ; the third, of stone, spans the eastern- 

 most of these two affluents, which drain the Coonoor valley proper, 

 and connects the eastern spur, up which passes the main road to 

 Upper Coonoor, with the head of the glidt. On an eminence on 

 the western spur stands the pretty Protestant Mission Chapel, 

 and on the eastern the Roman Catholic Church ; below the latter, 

 on the extreme point of the iuterfluvial spur, is the market. The 

 road to Upper Coonoor passes up the ridge and thence round 

 the head of the valley, and along the wooded ridge which 

 encloses it on the east and south. On this ridge stands the 

 Coonoor Church, dedicated to All Saints, with a lofty square tower. 

 The church is surrounded by a beautiful grave-yard planted with 

 exotic trees and flowers. It commands one of the finest views 

 in Coonoor. To the east of this ridge is a ravine separating it 

 from the Tiger's Hill, round which winds Lord Hobart's road, 

 which passes into the road to Lamb's Rock, Lady Canning's Seat, 

 and the Dolphin's Nose some five miles eastward of Coonoor 

 above the Kotagiri gorge. From the Dolphin's Nose there is a fine 

 view of St. Catharine's Falls. The views along this road are very 

 grand. Below it, stretching away to the east as far as the eye 

 can see, are the great Coimbatore and Salem plains, the ancient 

 Kongu realm; northwards the Bellirangan hills and the ranges 

 which mark the line of the Balaghat country ; whilst south and 

 westwards is the great Coonoor pass, walled in on the south by 

 the grand " Driig " which is backed by the Lambton's Peak 

 range, south of the Bhavani river and the distant Anemale 

 mountains. 



At the head of the spur on which the church stands is the 

 Coonoor Library, and above it Gray's Hotel. Behind the hill on 

 which Gray's Hotel stands is another valley, one of the ravines 

 on the western side of the Coonoor peak, along which run.s 

 the road to the Bleak House plantations, and onwards to Kotagiri. 

 This valley, within the last five or six years, has been formed 



