302 ANAMALAI — HIGHER RANGES. 



Akka and Tangachi Peaks. They carried our baggage for one 

 march, but all decamped in the night, and we saw no more 

 of them. We were afterwards joined by a dozen Puliars, who 

 remained the whole time. From the southern ridges of the 

 Anamalais, another Muduwar village was pointed out to me. It 

 was below my encamping ground, on the slope towards the 

 Anjinad Valley. This village was known by the name of Koda- 

 kara. There appeared to be an extensive clearance of the shola 

 near £he village. I one day met three Muduwars from this 

 village, not far from my encampment ; they were armed with 

 powerful bows and arrows, and were in search of ibex and samber. 

 They had a large dog with them. 



The sholas on these higher ranges are composed of very large 

 trees, and are generally open, there being little or no underwood. 

 Amongst the trees the following orders are chiefly represented : 

 Myrtacece, Lauracece, Olacacece, Araliacece, Oleaceoe, Ternstrde- 

 miacece, and Magnoliacece. I found a few new plants ; but two 

 attacks of fever whilst upon the hills prevented my exploring as 

 much as I could have wished. In many of the streams and 

 rivers there were beds of most lovely balsUms, in full flower, 

 even at this season of the year. Two gorgeous flowers are char- 

 acteristic of these hill streams, Sonerila grandiflora, with a new 

 and very large species of Exacum or Hill Gentian. There is 

 apparently no trace of either the Eose or Strawberry on these 

 mountains, which is curious, as both are so abundant on the 

 Pulnies and Mlgiris. The three species of Bubus are, however, 

 very common. The Anjinad Valley is about 1500 feet above the 

 plains. I proceeded to this valley, and from different parts of ' 

 the slopes obtained a complete view of it. I was much disap- 

 pointed, there being no forest worth mentioning in any part of 

 the valley. About the village of Anjinad (or Maraur, as it is 

 sometimes called), and in fact all over the valley, there is a 

 great deal of rice cultivation, with some bamboo jungle. Where 

 there is forest it is very open, and the trees much stunted ; with 

 the exception of a few scraggy trees, there is no teak. Between 

 the higher ranges of the Anamalais and the valley of the Am- 

 bravati there are some very fine plateaus of superb shola forest, 

 admirably adapted for the cultivation of coffee. 



