300 ANAMALAI — HIGHER RANGES. 



fluence, found an old hut which had been built some time before 

 by the Paliars of Dhulli, on one of their excursions in search 

 of" hill produce. In this hut we remained three days, exploring 

 the vicinity, and ascertained that the whole of this beautiful val- 

 ley is about 6000 feet above the level of the sea. It is covered 

 with slopes of short grass, full of flowers of the same description 

 as are usually found on the Nilgiris, or rather at Kunur. The 

 stream ran through small swamps, and was fringed with the 

 Ehododendrons, Ferns, &c. The Anemone, Pedicularis, Exacum, 

 Salep Misree, and the large white lilies, were in great abundance; 

 the sharp edges of the sholas were very marked, as they are about 

 TJtakamand and the Kundas. The thermometer stood at 56° in 

 the morning, and at night the cold was very intense. 



" We did not see many wild animals ; but the tracks of ele- 

 phants, bison, deer, &c, covered the valley in every direction. 

 It is probable that, when the forest is burned in the lower parts 

 of the hills, the wild animals come up here in great numbers. I 

 was in hopes that we should have fallen in with some ' Mudu- 

 vars,' who had been described to me as inhabiting these moun- 

 tains. It appears they do not frequent these higher ranges, but, 

 like the ' Kurumbars ' and ' Irulars ' of the Nilgiris, only cul- 

 tivate and live on the slopes of the hills at a lesser elevation. 



" I regret very much that my time would not admit of our 

 reaching the highest point and ascertaining the height ; for, as 

 far as we could judge from such a distance, it must be upwards 

 of 8000 feet above the sea level, and near it was a considerable 

 extent of table-land much higher than the valley we were in. 



" It took us two days to reach Anamalai ; but even in the pre- 

 sent rugged state of the paths, I think the journey might easily 

 be done in one day. J. Michael." 



Lieut. ~R. H. Beddome, Assist. Oonserv. of Forests, described 

 the last excursion on 17th April 1860 : — " I have made a trip to 

 the higher ranges of the Anamalai Hills, and explored the 

 country lying south of Michael's Valley, and also the Anjinad 

 Valley (in the Survey map marked ' Kujeenad'), between the Ana- 

 malais and Pulnies. I was accompanied by Mr E. 0. G. Thomas, 

 Assist. Collector of Malabar. Proceeding round the ridge of hills 



