OP THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. Ixvii 



This communication with Dimhatty though circuitous is for a 

 considerable way carried over very easy ground, with the exception 

 of the first portion of it to Daynaad. The pass on the whole is of an 

 easy ascent, and may be made practicable at a small labor and 

 expense for laden cattle. The pass leading up from Authutty, on 

 the left bank of the Bhavani, is short and thei'cfore difficult and 

 steep, joins the new road near the Serulu Bungalow, the ascent up 

 the ridge being only 2 miles. It may be made practicable for laden 

 cattle, and is constantly traversed by the hill people in preference to 

 the new I'oad, the communication being shorter with the villages on 

 the plain. The pass from Keelur down to Soondaputty, a deserted 

 hamlet on the left bank of the Bhavani among hills, is in a great 

 measure steep ; from the bungalow at the above place, the path runs 

 south-west half mile, having the hamlet of Munjacumba on the left ; 

 it winds easterly on the saddle of an open ridge, ascends gently 

 almost to the summit of Soondabetta, in high grass and date bushes, 

 and the western slope, southerly to a small pool on the right, then 

 south-easterly to the exterior or fall of the mountain, descends 

 gradually winding to a wood and hut, thence descent steep, passing 

 \ over a flat rock south-westerly to a nullah, keeps along it for a short 

 distance and crossing it passes over gentle ascent, descends and 

 crosses the Manar River, and ascending from it takes a south-westerly 

 course, descends then south-east, passing over a rather level surface 

 to Soondaputty, and is on the whole a tolerable path, the pass 

 excepted being tedious in the descent. 



M. F. Y. 



From Keelur to the summit of the pass ... ... 3 7 160 



,, to nullah at the foot of the pass ... 6 4 200 



„ to the Manar River 8 1 40 



„ to Soondaputty banian tree... ... 10 



The road and pass on the north, leading down to the table-land of 

 Devaroyapatam at present frequented, leads from the village of 

 Kulhutty, descends and crosses a ravine near Tudukaly, thence on a 

 flat cultivated surface intersected by three inconsiderable streams, 

 ascends a low ridge, and descending gradually to a lai"ge nullah 

 crosses it, and two smaller ones to a buffalo crib, on a flat table, on 

 the margin of which it runs east-north-east to a nullah in wood, 

 quitting it, descends abruptly by several zigzag winding north- 

 east and north, latter part very rugged to Courmullay, a deserted 

 village at the foot of the mountains, the whole length of the pass being 

 two-and-a-half miles, the path and crossing the MuUayacotta River and 

 some ruins to Shegoor northerly runs, north-north-west over some 

 uncultivated paddy lands and through a jungle of sandal and 

 bamboos, recrossing the above river, here called Cottoar, from thence 

 again north-west by north over high ground covered with low and 

 open wood, again crosses the above river to Shembanuttum Fort. This 

 pass is the most difficult, yet does admit of laden cattle, is on the whole 

 from Kulhutty to Shembanuttum, a distance of nine-and-a-quarter miles. 

 The original road skirting the eastern side of the IMullayncotta Valley 



