REPORT ON THE MUDUMALAI FOREST.* 



1. The Mudumalai forest is in the district of Malabar, lying 

 between the Sigur Forest in Ooimbatore and Gundalpet in My- 

 sore, and includes (fide Capt. Morgan) " an area of about 200 

 square miles. The extreme length is 24 miles, the average 

 breadth 8 miles." It is rented by Government from the Tirupad of 

 Nelambur for the supply of teak to the Wellington barracks. The 

 lease was entered into in 1857, with the concurrence of Mr Rob- 

 inson, then acting collector of Malabar, and was for a term of 

 five years, of which 3J are still to run. The annual rent is 

 Rs. 2300. 



2. General Character. — The general character of the forest is 

 good, containing a large quantity of Teak (Tectona grandis), 

 Blackwood (Dalbergia latifolia), Ventek (Lagerstromia micro- 

 carpa), Marda (Terminalia glabra), Venge (Pterocarpus marsu- 

 pium. There are some grassy knolls covered with good pasture, 

 the largest teak trees are in the valley of G-ogahala and on the 

 banks of the Moyar river. The trees are considerably more lofty 

 than those in Sigur, and the jungle generally much resembles 

 that on the north and eastern frontier of Wainad. 



3. Boundaries. — East, Tipakadu; north-west, Nellikota ; south, 

 Sigur. 



4. Detail of Forest Operations. — The wood-cutters are Kurum- 

 bars, inhabiting the forest ; the sawyers come from Mysore ; the 

 dragging of the logs to the forest track is performed partly by 

 elephants, — of which eight belong to the commissariat and six to 



* This is the only notice of this forest on record. It was called for by 

 Government in connection with the supply of timber to the Wellington 

 barracks. 



