THE XEILGHEREY HILLS. 97 



ists wliile it rolled up a piincely fortune at the expense of the poor 

 " fever-and-ager " victims in the back settlements and the Western 

 river bottoms. 



During my stay at Ootacamund (called Ooty, for short), I lived 

 at Leigh's Alexandra Hotel, -uhere, for foxu- rupees a day, I had the 

 poorest fare and the worst attendance I ever put up with in a hotel 

 or boarding-house of any kind, or at any price. Although the fare 

 was poor it had one redeeming featui'e — there was never veiy much 

 of it, for mine hostess and her myrmidons seemed to be experiment- 

 ing upon me to see how Uttle a man could live upon. But it was 

 the best I could do under the circumstances. In hotels like that, 

 the traveller who does not spend nearly as much mone}' in brandy, 

 soda, and cigars as his board amounts to, is an unwelcome guest, 

 and from mine host to the water-carrier he is treated accoi'dingly. 

 The servants of the Alexandra recognized one set of travellers as 

 " big gentlemen," who were entitled to their attention, and the 

 "small gentlemen " (such as I) were left to shift for themselves. 



Soon after reaching Ootacamund I met a very enthusiastic young 

 sportsman, with whom I planned a short trip to the Neddimullahs, 

 a range to the west, to hunt sambur deer (Eusa aristotelis), and 

 the Xeilgherry goat [Heviitragus hylocrius), which is here (in 

 sport, I suppose) called the "ibex." We took with us a native 

 "shikaree "to be our guide, and a party of coolies who carried 

 upon their heads the baskets laden with our camp-outfit, ammuni- 

 tion, and pro%isions for five days. 



A brisk walk of about twelve miles over the hills and through 

 the hollows, brought us to the range of peaks, and at a lovely spot, 

 known as Betmund, we made our camp beside two httle Toda huts, 

 which sheltered us at night. Never have I seen a lovelier land- 

 scape than that which stretched before us then. Looking back 

 toward Ootacamund we saw an endless succession of rolling hills 

 and rounded ridges covered with bright green grass, reheved here 

 and there by dense sholas of a dai'ker hue. The hills looked as if 

 they had just been gone over with a lawn-mower, they were so 

 smooth and clean. Near our camp was a clear, cold mountain 

 stream, while on three sides of us the hills rose into lofty peaks 

 still smooth in outline and covered with short grass. We were 

 reallv amonjj the "' delectable movmtains." 



At daybreak the next morning we saw four wild goats feeding 

 near the summit of one of the tallest peaks, at the base of which 

 we were encamped. To the naked eye they were the merest dark 

 7 



