MADRAS JOURNAL 



OF 



LITERATURE AND SCIENCE. 



No. 34. Ja7iuanj' — December, 1848, 



I. Geographical and Statistical Memoir of a Survey of the 

 Neilgherry Mountains, under the Superintendence of Cap- 

 tain J. OucHTERLOJSY. 1847, [Communicated by the Chief 

 Secretary to Govenime?it.] 



The Neilgherries, properly so called, comprise two distinct tracts 

 of mountainous country, the one called the Neilgherries, or " Neil- 

 gherries proper," and the other the "Koondahs." The survey of the 

 latter yet remains to be completed, and hence the statistical data 

 here recorded, relate exclusively to the former region. 



^^^^ The area of the plateau of the Neilgherries, as defin- 



ed on the north-west, north, east, and south, by the crest 

 of the mass of mountains, and on the south-west by the outline 

 of the " Koondahs," is found by the present survey to comprise 

 268,494 square acres in its geographical extent: but owing to the 

 ceaseless undulations prevailing over the whole surface, a far greater 

 amount of land is actually available for cultivation. 



Of this quantity only 23,772 acres have been brought under cul- 

 tivation, leaving 244,772 acres either entirely waste, or appropriated 

 for grazing cattle by the various Hill tribes. 



VOL. XV. NO. XXXIV. ^ 



