1836.] 



Neelgherries and Koondahs, 



289 



fore, Sispara's amphitheatre not excepted, which is too small, too tame 

 and regular, to bear comparison with this. 



Having admired this stupendous spectacle, we thought of scaling the 

 peak. 1 must say a few words of this extraordinary excrescence, which 

 shoots up from the very edge of an abrupt precipice, and raises its per- 

 pendicular fac, ade above five hundred feet. On the very brink of the es- 

 carpment, which forms the western termination of the Makoortee range,, 

 this peak rises, suddenly, in the shape of a cone split into two equal 

 parts from the apex to the base, one half having been hurled down to 

 the plains of Malabar, the other stuck to the brim of the precipice, and 

 having its split facade in a line with the escarpment, like a gigantic 

 battlement. 



This abrupt mural precipice, on the south side is continued with 

 the northern end of the Koondahs; yet a spur shoots out from it 

 in a westerly direction, making a segment of a circle, the concavity of 

 which looks north. Along the escarpment of this curve the other two 

 peaks stand in the same manner, and having the same form as the 

 highest one, but of smaller dimensions. The distance between each of 

 these peaks cannot exceed four hundred yards. At the termination of 

 this precipice there is an isolated column-like hill, which raises its lofty 

 summit from among innumerable huge masses,, heaped up in the great- 

 est confusion imaginable — the ruins and wreck of its own mass.. 



The highest peak cannot be more than five hundred feet above the verge 

 of the escarpment ; the eastern and south eastern sides have a gibbous 

 configuration, and are perfectly easy of ascent, the horizontal positions 

 of the stratified rock forming it into steps. When half way up we sat 

 down — my companion with his pencil to take a view of the romantic 

 recess of the Koondahs, and I to gaze around me. Fearing giddiness, I 

 did not attempt to walk to the brink of the precipice, but I crawled for 

 the last twenty yards, and when near the Swamy which stands at the 

 very pinnacle of the cone, I sat down ; and after a few minutes rest I 

 crept on all fours to the brink, projecting my head only beyond the 

 precipice. 



How can pen describe the horrific confusion at the bottom of this 

 awful abyss ! Huge masses, portions of mountains I should say, lay 

 scattered, or heaped up, in frightful disorder, at the foot of the parent 

 mountain, which rises, like an enormous column, hiding its lofty sum- 

 mit in the clouds. 



I could not gaze at this frightful scene more than two or three mi- 

 nutes ; and I retired creeping back to the Swamy, where we enjoyed 

 again the sight of the recess of the Koondahs. We regretted that the 

 clouds, which began rolling along the plains of Malabar, soon deprived 

 us of the pleasure of admiring the mountainous scenery and the 

 plains, at the same time. 



