OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. Ixv 



Nothing of note under this head is to bo seen hero, with the Fortifica. 

 exception of the sight of two forts, which, though of modern date, have **'?"*^ *°'*. 

 fallen to decay ; Mullacottah, at the head of a valley, commands an buildiugs, 

 extensive view of the Mysore country ; it is situated three miles south- 

 east of Sholoor, built of stone and mud, in form a square, and 

 surrounded by a deep dry ditch, its interior overrun with jungle. 

 HoUycul, on a conspicuous detached ridge to the south, is built on an 

 inaccessible bold bluff rock, with many inequalities, occupies a largo 

 surface, its shape an irregular rectangle, the access to it leads over the 

 saddle of the ridge through extensive lofty forest, then up a perpen- 

 dicular rock admitting the passage of only one individual at a time ; it 

 commands an extensive view of the low country to the south and east, 

 and also a large portion of the surface of the mountain on the north ; 

 these places were once garrisoned by a few of Tippu's troops with a 

 design to keep the mountaineers in check and also to assist the Sultan'a 

 servants in collecting the yearly revenue. It is worthy of notice that 

 there are circular towers on the top of most of the higher and flat 

 eminences called Hokuls ; a few of them are perfect at the present 

 day, being in diameter about 20 feet and 5 feet high, built of loose 

 stones, the interior strewed about with broken images of idols, &c. • 

 from this circumstance it would appear that they were once places 

 of worship; but no account of their origin can be obtained from the 

 present inhabitants further than that these edifices were built by the 

 Boopalans, predecessors of the present race of the Toduwars. 



A coarse cloth wore by both sexes may be considered the only imports and 

 article imported, excepting bars of iron for implements, tobacco and exports. 

 other requisites being purchased by the inhabitants at the weekly 

 markets held at a few large villages in the low country ; the exports 

 consist of wheat, poppy seed, opium, honey, wax, garlic, onions, 

 mustard, fenugincks, vasambu, ghee, and little of the superior kinds 

 of dry grain, all which find a ready sale below. 



Iron ore is found on many of the ridges impregnated with stones. Mines and 

 a small hill to the south-west of Trichaguddy is remarkable for it ; uiinerala. 

 much of it is also to be seen mixed with sand of the difi"erent streams 

 washed down the slopes of the hills ; none of it is, however, smelted 

 here, it being imported in bars from the low country. 



There are no less than five roads or paths through difi*erent passes Roada, passes 

 communicative with the villages on the surface of this mountain ; of ^'^'^ '^*^'^'®^- 

 these the most easy of access is the one lately made by a party of 

 pioneers ; it is the most frequented by travellers and admits of palan- 

 quins ; horses and laden cattle go up it with much ease. The road 

 to the pass strikes off from the left bank of the Bhavani river at 

 Sirmogay, proceeds thence waving north-west three miles over level 

 ground and low jungle to the base of the ridge ; here commences the 

 ascent steep, zigzag and rugged for a mile northerly, to the shoulder 

 of the ridge, along which it winds westerly with many inequalities, 

 principally ascending till it gains a gap between two high woody tops 

 near Conjapany ; from thence descends rather steep on the southern 

 slope of the ridge to a level surface, gradual descent to a nullah, and 

 ascends from it to a temporary bungalow at Serulii, a delightful 



