580 DR HUGH CLEGHORN’S ACCOUNT OF AN EXPEDITION TO THE 
laden, followed slowly and with difficulty, not reaching the huts till near dusk. 
The most trying work (see Plate XXXIV.) for laden elephants is crossing the 
bed of mountain streams, as the sloping boulders offer a precarious footing for these 
heavy animals. From the top of the ghat to Punachi is above three miles of ascent 
and descent; about two miles from the top may be seen a magnificent precipice 
about 200 feet high. The bluff rock overhanging the Torakudu river is reddish 
porphorite. The hills, like the Nilghiris and the Coimbatore district generally, 
consist of gneiss, and belong to the metamorphic rocks; veins of felspar and 
quartz were common, some of them very large, crossing the foliated gneiss 
at right angles. The gneiss was generally of a grey colour, but in some places it 
was reddish. No crystalline limestone such as is found associated with the gneiss 
in Coimbatore was observed. 
According to instructions given by Mr Cuerry, the Kaders had prepared three 
huts and stabling for us, in an open space about 50 yards east of the coffee plan- 
tation belonging to RamMasami Mupeuuiar. ‘These huts were admirably con- 
structed, much superior to their own dwellings, and quite water-tight ; the uprights 
were made of jungle trees tied together by strips of bark, the cots of bamboo, and 
_ the thatch of the glabrous leaves of a species of Saccharum. The coffee planta- 
tion was commenced twelve years ago ; the soil is rich, the trees are at least 14 
feet in height, left entirely to nature; a beautiful stream, however, is taken advan- 
tage of to irrigate the garden. The produce is much smaller than it might be 
under systematic management. There are some good teak trees standing in the 
middle of the plantation. 
In the neighbourhood of Punachi, three or four large cattle kraals were seen, 
each containing from 50 to 80 head of cattle. Behind our hut was a waterfall, 
which is distinctly seen from Anamalai. The Punachi river tumbles over a 
precipice, which seems to be the edge of a considerable tract of table land; this 
we regretted we had no opportunity to explore. Near to it are several dense sholas 
(thickets); and above the cascade, some bison pasture ground and ibex rocks. 
Teak occurred for the first time on some undulating knolls, two or three miles 
before reaching the village, and on the slopes of the basin leading to the river. 
The teak tree here is not of superior dimensions, but is widely diffused, forming 
nearly half of the forest at this place. Many of the trees would yield second-class 
logs, and they improved in size as we descended the gorge. Being in flower, the 
white cross-armed panicles formed a striking feature in the landscape. There is 
much fallen and decaying teak within three miles of the huts. I inspected the 
jungle both in going and returning, and walked across in different directions, to 
estimate approximatively the number and size of the trees; the value of standing 
wood is about Rs. 50,000, and of fallen timber at least Rs. 5000. I counted fifty 
trees on the ground, well worth removal if there was easy transport. We saw 
further up the valley much Vengé (Plerocarpus marsupium), and black wood 
