484 MANUAL OP THE NILAQIRI DISTRICT. 



CH. XXVIII. on the Neilgherries, having been made in Ceylon, the attention of the 



skilful planters of that island was attracted in this direction, and the 



Cultivation, result has been the opening of several plantations, where I ventured 



to predict, in a former memoir, that this description of cultivation 



would sooner or later be introduced, viz., on the western slopes of the 

 Hills, where advantages are offered to the planter eminently superior 

 to those, the possession of which has, of late years, so greatly enhanced 

 the value and importance of the neighbouring islands.^ 

 Cheap labour, The chief of all is the cheapness of labour, a cooly receiving even on 

 4 rupees a distant plantations in the " Koondahs " 4 rupees a month, while in 

 Ceylon 8, 9 and even 10 are given ; while in the pay of artizans such 

 as carpenters, sawyers, masons, &c., a still greater disparity exists in 

 favor of this district.^ Second to this is the abundance of labour 

 which can always be commanded here, the neighbouring provinces 

 of Malabar, Mysore and Coimbatore supplying coolies in sufficient 

 numbers to meet all demands, and at all seasons of the year ; while in 

 Ceylon the utmost difficulty is experienced in most parts to obtain 

 labourers when urgently required ; and at all times the supply of 

 coolies is extremely precarious. Planters here have also the advantage 

 of a good public road passing through the heart of the forest land of 

 the " Koondahs," and affording ready means for obtaining supplies, 

 machinery, &c., or of sending away produce for shipment by a route, 

 of which less than 30 miles are by land and 36 by water, to the port 

 of Calicut.^ One estate which was opened about two years ago near 

 " Wallahkadoo," half-way down the Koondah ghaut, by the late 

 Archdeacon of Ceylon and Mr. Hutson, also of that island, and which 

 I had an opportunity of inspecting recently on my way up from the 

 Western Coast, is in a very flourishing condition, and has every 

 promise of turning out most successfully. In its neighbourhood are 

 tracts of virgin forest land of immense extent, stretching away over 

 VTpstern tlie innumerable spurs and valleys into which the Koondahs are 



slopes of the broken as they slope downwards towards the Ponany river, all 

 well suited eminently suitable for coffee planting, having the proper elevation, a 

 for coffee good and rich soil, and enjoying a climate particularly favourable to 

 cultivation, ^.he nourishment of this peculiar shrub. If the success which is 

 looked for crowns the exertions and adventure of the tirst speculators, 

 there can be little doubt that when the Koondah coffee appears 

 regularly in the market as a production of this district, the attention 

 of capitalists at home will be directed to it, and the western portion 

 of this mountain tract become a source of great increase to the revenue 

 of the country, while it will afford employment and subsistence to the 

 many indigent people in the neighbouring provinces, who, at the 



1 Works on Coffee Cultivation by Shortt, Hull, and Laborie, have been published 

 by Hiffginbotham and Co., Madras. — Ed. 



^ The market value of cooly and other labour has risen considerably since this 

 memoir was published. A cooly now receives 6 annas per day, children 2 

 annas ; farm servants, gardeners, &c. 8 rupees per mensem ; carpenter li rupee, 

 bricklayer 1 rupee, a day. — Ed. 



'' The Sisaj>&ra Ghdt ie little ustd now.— Ed. 



