Chap. I.] geneual sketch of akea. ]7 



not exempt from malarious influences, deadly to all but tlie hill people 



themselves. 



Westward of the PatchamuUays, and divided from them by a broad 



valley, are the Kolymullays, which rise rather 

 Kolymullays. 



abruptly from the plains on the west, south, and 

 east sides, but on the north and north-east, numerous long and gently 

 sloping spurs descend to the low country. The range presents gener- 

 ally the appearance of a flat-topped mass of mountain land ; in fact, one 

 of the names given by the natives, '' Sadura giris" (Square. Mountains), 

 shows their perception of this feature in the outline. Having from 

 below such a level appearance, one might expect to find a tolerably 

 flat plateau ; but such is not the case, for within this outer and apparent- 

 ly uniformly level edge, the surface of the mountains is worn into five 

 great basin-like depressions, the sides of which are further divided 

 by numerous tolerably deep ravine-like valleys formed by the pro- 

 jection of spurs from the dividing ridges between the basins. This pecu- ^ 

 liar character is w^ell shown in the map in the Indian Atlas, by which it 

 will be seen that the northern end of the range contains one basin, the 

 narrower central part a second, and the main or southern part three, 

 namely, two small ones lying respectively on the north-west and south- 

 east sides of the main basin, whose major axis lies from south-west by 

 south to north-east by north. Over the eastern and north-eastern flanks 

 the main streams of the mountains all flow either into the Toriore 

 valley or into that drained by the Pereyaur ; and it is only from this outer 

 edge, or from some of the higher ridges of the interior that a view of 

 the low country can be obtained. The greatest height observed was at 

 the north end, where there is a ridge 4,016 feet above the sea, but the 

 general height of the upper surface is not above 3,500 feet. 



There is only one stream of any size occurring in the principal basin, 

 and this runs in its course through occasional little alluvial flats which 

 have been formed behind the hard bands of rock which are intercalated 

 c ( 239 ) 



