EXPEDITION TO THE HIGHER RANGES OF THE 

 ANAMALAI HILLS, COIMBATORE, IN 1858* 



The excursion described in the following pages was planned 

 by Dr Macpherson, Inspector-General of Hospitals, and myself, 

 with a view to explore the Southern Range of the Anamalai (i.e., 

 Elephant Hills), -in the district of Coimbatore, which are sparingly 

 laid down in the Great Trigonometrical Survey Map, while the 

 peculiarities of their Fauna and Flora had not been recorded. 



The project was approved by the Right Honourable Lord 

 Harris, then Governor of the Madras Presidency, and the ser- 

 vices of Major D. Hamilton were sanctioned by his Excellency 

 Sir Patrick Grant, Commander-in-chief, to accompany us as 

 artist, to delineate the characteristic features of the country. 



According to previous agreement, the village, ten miles from 

 Pulachy and six from Anamalai.f was the place of rendezvous. 

 The party consisted of J. W. Cherry, Esq., acting-collector of 

 Coimbatore, Drs Macpherson and Cornish, Major D. Hamilton, 

 21st N. I., Capt. Fane, Lieut. R. H. Beddome, 42d N. I., T. B. 

 French, S. L. Koe, "W. Fraser, civil engineer, and 0. B. Irvine, 

 Esq., assistant-cpllector, accompanied with seven elephants. "We 

 started at 4 a.m., and arrived at the Anamalai River at 20 minutes 

 past 5 ; the distance six miles, and the road much trodden by 

 sheep and cattle. By the light of early dawn we distinguished 

 the candelabrum-like stems of Euphorbia antiquorum, and the 

 drooping foliage of Safoadora indica, which in habit resembles 

 the weeping willow, and here attains a large size, the trunk 

 being 10 inches in diameter. : 



After crossing the river, which was deep and rapid, in leaky 

 basket-boats, we traversed a number of paddy fields, and entered 



* Read to the Eoyal Society of Edinburgh, 29th April 1861, and printed 

 in their Transactions, vol. xxii. 



t " North Latitude 10" 27. East Longitude 77." Plate viii. Panorama 

 of mountain range from this village, showing the eastern aspect. 



z 



