ANAMALAI — HIGHER RANGES. 299 



the timber resources of the district were ascertained, and a large 

 tract of country, suitable for coffee culture, was traversed, which 

 will doubtless be the scene of future colonization. 



H. Oleghorn, 



Conservator of ForeUs. 



The following extracts from reports by Oapt. Michael and 

 Lieut. Beddome contain additional information regarding the 

 supplies of water and the timber resources of the district. It 

 will be seen that to the former officer the credit is due of having 

 first explored this interesting hill tract. " On the 22d Octo- 

 ber, 1851," he writes, " we ascended the hill, on the face of which 

 the hut stood, which is connected with the Akka and Tangachi 

 malai, and about the same height, but suited our purpose better, 

 as it ran further into the interior, and gave us a better view of 

 the surrounding country ; we found the height at the top to be 

 7000 feet ; and observed a fine open valley about five miles in 

 length, extending along the base of this hill, running from north 

 to south, and watered by two small streams which unite at the 

 north extremity, and fall over a rock forming the Torakudu 

 river. At the south extremity is a conical hill covered with 

 grass and small sholas on its sides, which appears to be the 

 watershed of the whole raDge, the streams in the valleys falling 

 off in every direction from the base of it ; though there are many 

 higher peaks, we were confirmed in this opinion by the fact that 

 the sholas are smaller and less frequent in this spot than else- 

 where : both to the north and south, heavy sholas extend conti- 

 nuously for miles, while here they were in small patches of a few 

 acres. This watershed point we concluded to be the hill marked 

 " Paducalumudy " in the Trigonometrical Survey Map (Sheet 

 No. 62). Prom this we could see what is evidently the highest 

 mountain point in the range. It is a rounded eminence, lying 

 some 12 miles off in a south-easterly direction, and apparently 

 not within the Travancore boundary ; but as our time was limited, 

 we could not visit it. 



" On the 23d, we went about five or six miles over very difficult 

 ground on the steep side of a hill to the long valley above men- 

 tioned ; and erossing the two small streams just above their con- 



