1838.] 



and Boad ZemindarieS, 



407 



The Eastern line of Route from Gullery in Goomsur to Boad on the 

 MahaniMj.—ThQ upper portion of the northern acclivity of the val- 

 ley of Goomsur is drained, as has been stated, by a series of nearly 

 parallel streams, the chief of which flow from Pussara and Gattigooda 

 to the west ; and by Kookloobah and Jagnatpersaud to the eastward of 

 the mountain mass of Ambozara. 



The eastern route first ascends the valley of Gattigooda. 



The features of this example of an alpine slope of Goomsur> chan- 

 nelled by its seasonal torrent vividly record the power, and express 

 the characteristic action of the elements on the superficial materials 

 of these tracts. 



Its bounding ridges above Gullery, broken and ill-defined, become 

 soon after sustained, continuous and compact ; converging insensibly 

 in a course of 16 miles to Gattigooda. 



A wild, picturesque rivulet there quits the dividing ridge of the 

 great valleys, winding through a succession of narrow gorges and rug- 

 ged defiles, down a deep and tortuous dell, ever crossed and embar- 

 rassed by hill spurs, given out confusedly from either side. 



The stream was at the commencement of the summer heats, a thread 

 of water which vanished wherever the forest canopy was intermitted. 

 Its channel, which had afforded scope to a powerful mountain river^ 

 was, now, a deeply worn precipitous chasm,with mural sides and rocky 

 pavement ; how the slope of a fierce rapidj laid with large round stones j 

 and now scooped into a series of broad hollow basins. 



As the straitened glen by degrees dilated to a valley in which the 

 receding ridges, and less crowded buttresses gave room for a freer 

 passage the stream-bed now lay over clayey holms, now wound deeply 

 sunk in the crumbling detritus of the hill sideSj and finally, as the 

 confining ridges began to break over the plain of Goomsur, expanded 

 to a smooth bed of shingle and white sand. 



Over all lay the unbroken gloom of the primeval forest, now com- 

 posed of timber-trees of majestic growth ; springing from the moist 

 stream banks, now of dense tracts of bamboo jungle, now of various 

 lighter forestry with rich leafy underwood. 



Hydrographical Valley of the Mahanuddy,— The rise of a few hun- 

 dred feet from Gattigooda conducts into the hydrographical valley 

 Of the Mahanuddy. 



From the summit of the Col, a brief slope of four miles, leads to the 

 Bortungia at Chokapaud, just descended from the plateau. On the other 

 hand a minute feeder leads due-south to the same stream atBoropall^ 



