294 ANAMALAI HlGHEK RANGES. 



18th, 9 a.m. — As the two .remaining elephants' could not 

 proceed further, the beds were carried by coolies, and each of 

 the party took his own provisions for the day. We now ascended 

 a steep rugged hill, impassable for horses "on account of the 

 immense masses of detached rocks ; one in particular, -resembling 

 a haystack, about 40 feet high, from the summit of which a 

 rattan chain similar to that described was suspended (vide Plate 

 XII.) We proceeded through dense sholas for three miles, 

 in the middle of which we crossed. the river by a temporary 

 bridge formed of a large tree felled by the Kaders for the pur- 

 pose. Rvhus lasiocarpus (bramble) was first seen here. 



After walking six miles round the base of the Tangachi, we 

 emerged fromihe woods, in which were traces of wild elephants, 

 upon a steep open grass hill. At this point the view across the 

 valley of the Torakudu was very grand, extensive dense sholas 

 skirting the rocky and precipitous hills, the summits being 

 shrouded in mist. The Rhododendron arboreum first occurred 

 here — the elevation ascertained by Mr Eraser to be about 5000 

 feet. We continued to ascend the steep side of the hill till we 

 arrived at the huts, which were situated on a lower spur of the 

 Akka, near the edge of a large shola. Thick mist and violent 

 rain came on soon afterwards. A herd of twenty-five bison were 

 seen grazing on the opposite hill, and there were fresh traces of 

 others near the hut. 



19$, Sunday. — Nothing seen. Thermometer, minimum 54°, 

 maximum 60°. Elevation calculated to be 5600 feet. Cold 

 wind whistled freely through the grass huts, the stakes were 

 loosened, and the temporary erection nearly came down. 



20th, Monday. — It rained all morning. The Kader guides 

 were nnwilling to proceed. However, we started at 10 a.m. in 

 search of the great valley alluded to in Captain Michael's 

 Report,* and in an hour reached a beautiful ridge shooting 

 out from the base of Akka-malai ; there was short, sweet pas- 

 ture, and numerous indications of bison. The weather continued 

 unfavourable, and so misty, that except during a few gleams 

 of sunshine, we saw little of the country. 



* Captain J. Michael, 39th N.I., visited these ranges in 1851 ; his MS. 

 Report was of great use to us. 



