CHAP. 2.] PHYSICAL STRUCTURE. 27 
verge within the area and have feeders of their own from this great 
basin, draws a large quantity of water direct from the country by means 
of the Khoond-air with its tributaries and the Suggle-air in the valley 
between the Nullamullays and Yellaeonda. The only other river of 
any importance is the Goondlaeumma,* which drains the northern and 
eastern third of the Nullamullays and adjacent country, and flows direct 
to sea by the Nellore plains. 
The Kistnah runs for some short distance across the northern open- 
ing out of the Nundyall hollow, and then traverses 
the Nullamullays by a rather angular route flow- 
ing along the bottom of a trench which it has eut down through these 
mountains, which are here of a plateau or elevated basin-form, the 
The Kistnah. 
river course having been guided by the main axis of this basin. 
The course of the river through these mountains varies much 
Varied aspect of river 2 its aspect. At first, or where it enters the 
d mountain range, it flows in a broad shallow 
valley, without any steep sides except at two or three points, the 
mountains at the same time eventually rising up to a considerable 
height on either side. For this distance, some miles or so, the river at 
a a EDL flood flows along over a rocky bed between tolerably 
tio contae: steep sloping banks: but at its lowest, when only 
it can be explored, it flows in a rock-cut canal or trench in long, 
smooth reaches of water, sometimes six miles in length, with intervening 
rocky and gravelly or rather shingly rapids. At such a time the high 
water mark is very evident by the line where the trees begin to grow on 
either side some forty feet above the low level. | 
Asarule, throughout the mountain path of the river, there are 
hardly any deposits of shingle. The smooth rocky main bed of the 
* This name affords a fair instance of the boundless confusion which has been intro- 
duced by different modes of spelling, —on the same sheet of the Indian Atlas, and within a 
few miles distance, it appears as Goondlacumma, and as Gundlacama. 
E 
(up cw) 
