CHAP. I.] GETTEEAIi VIEW. GEOGRAPHY. 5 



miles from the Coromatidel coast, and leave the large 

 irregularly level, and generally sandy plain di' the Car- 

 natic between themselves and the Bay of Bengal. The 

 Western Ghauts rise much more abruptly and to .a 

 much greater height on the Malabar coast, and leave a 

 much narrower strip of land between themselves and 

 the Indian ocean. The two chj^ins running north to 

 south gradually unite at Cape Comorin. Thus the 

 Madras Presidency consists of a large triangular table- 

 land, sloping away from the great western wall to what 

 may be called the eastern mounds ; and from the south- 

 ern territory of Mysore, which has a medium elevation 

 of 3000 feet, to the northern districts of Bellary and 

 Cuddapah, where the mean height is 1600 feet. East 

 of the table-land is the broad sandy plain of the Car- 

 natic ; west of the table land is tlie narrow fertile ter- 

 ritory known as Canara and Malabar. 



Three modifications of the tropical heat, viz. the 6 

 table-land, the sea, and the two monsoons. — The whole 

 of the Madras Presidency is situated within the tropics, 

 between the eighth and twentieth degrees of north 

 latitude. The entire territory therefore is subject to 

 great heat, and this is especially the case in localities 

 which are unrelieved by moisture. But the elevation 

 of the table-land in the centre, the vicinity of the plains 

 to the sea, and, above all, the iniluence of the two mon- 

 soons, very much modify the burning heat of the sun. 



North-east monsoon, October to April : South-west 7 

 monsoon, May to September. — The manifestations of 

 the monsoons are so unlike anything that is experienced 

 in the British isles, and at the same time they exercise 

 such an important influence on every kind of cultiva^ 

 tion in India, that perhaps a short description may not 

 be misplaced. The monsoons are periodical winds, 

 which about the time of their first setting in bring 

 heavy bursts of rain. One sets in from the north-east 

 about October, and blows more or less steadily for six 

 months. The other sets in from the south-west about 

 April, and blows until the north-east begins. Thus 

 the broad plain of the Carnatic enjoys the iniluence of 

 the north-east monsoon ; the narrow strip of Malabar 



