284j the hunting grounds 



my head shekarry, to proceed at once, with the 

 gang, guns, and baggage, to a hut I had built on a 

 previous hunting expedition at the top of the 

 Taketty Pass, which was four marches from Ooty, 

 and there await our arrival. 



Although this was the hottest season of the year, 

 the temperature on the table-land of the Neilgherry 

 Hills was rarely much over 80°, but knowing from 

 experience that it would be at least 40° higher in the 

 plains, we determined to get over that part of the 

 journey by night, in palanquins, with posted bearers, 

 so as to avoid any unnecessary exposure to the sun, 

 and get fresh to our ground. 



Having made arrangements with the police Ameen 

 to this effect, on the next day but one after the de- 

 parture of our people, we left my snug little domicile, 

 Burnside Cottage, at about three in the afternoon, 

 arriving at the travellers' bungalow, in Metrapol- 

 lium, at the foot of the Coonoor Pass, by sunset, 

 dined, and afterwards proceeded to Coimbatore, 

 where we remained only a few minutes, and again 

 started for the Annamullay Hills, the base of which 

 we reached by 10 A.M. 



Here, to my surprise, I found Chineah, the Goo- 



roo, and one of B 's followers with our rifles, 



who informed us that they had come across a couple 

 of Mulchers, (a jungle tribe,) who had taken them 

 to a ravine alive with game of all kinds, which they 

 begged we would tiy before ascending the Ghauts. 

 At first I did not care to alter my former plan of 



