13-1 FLORA INDICA. 



account of the flora of their summits is, however^ a deside- 

 ratum. 



The vegetation of the plain of the Carnatic has been in- 

 vestigated by so many persons, that it is now thoroughly 

 well known. The earliest peninsular botanists were the Danish 

 missionaries, who originally settled at Tranquebar ; and most 

 of the collectors who have visited the peninsula have tra- 

 versed the Carnatic en route to the interior. It is therefore 

 unnecessary to enumerate the names of all those who have 

 botanized there. 



5. Mysore. 



The province of Mysore is bounded on the north by the 

 Dekhan, on the west by the mountain axis of the peninsula, 

 and on the east and south by the low country of the Car- 

 natic. It is usually described as a table-land enclosed be- 

 tween the western and eastern Ghats ; a form of expression 

 which has doubtless originated in the fact that a considerable 

 rise is made in entering the province from either side. 



The Western Grhats, as we have already fully explained, 

 form a chain extending in a direction parallel to the west- 

 ern ocean ; and Mysore, which occupies the eastern and more 

 gentle slope of these mountains, contains the upper part of 

 the basins of the Cavery, Penar, and Tungrabudra rivers, all 

 of which discharge their waters into the Bay of Bengal. 



Through the centre of this elevated tract, nearly in the 

 parallel of Mangalor and Madras, is situated the watershed 

 which separates the first of these rivers from the two latter. 

 This is not an elevated ridge, but a rounded and often scarcely 

 perceptible swelling, usually undulating very gently, but rising 

 at intervals into rugged masses often more than a thousand 

 feet above its mean elevation. The highest summits in My- 

 sore (except in the district of Nagar) are situated on this 

 line, and are north-east and north of Bangalor, where several 

 peaks rise to 4000 feet, and one to 4500 feet. To the north 

 of this range the elevation is less considerable, but the ap- 



