74 The Neilgherry Mountai?is. [No. 34, 



lion is kept up with Bangalore, Madras and all places to the nortli- 

 ■\vard, and the chief bulk of European supplies, heavy baggage, horse 

 gram, rice, kc, comes to the settlement by it. It also affords the 

 means of transit for the teak timber used on the Hills in the form of 

 rafters, planks, &c., the road passing near the forests where teak 

 trees are cut under sanction of Government, about Tippacadoo and 

 Musneumcoil. The trees are felled by Coorumburs and others, and 

 are then, after being lopped and roughly dressed, dragged on rude 

 bandies by buffaloes to the road side, where they are sawn into build- 

 ing pieces, and sent on bullock bandies to the Ootacamund market by 

 the Seegoor Ghaut. 



The Kotergherry Pass. ^^^^ north-east angle of the plateau of the 



Hills, at Kotergherry is another ghaut commu- 

 nicating with MatepolUem in the low country, and thence to Coimba- 

 tore and the Salem road. 



This is the oldest road cut for the ascent of the Neilgherries at 

 the expense of Government, and it led formerly to the original sani- 

 tarium at Dimhutty. It has been constructed in a very sound and 

 substantial manner originally, but having been neglected and suffered 

 to fall into very bad order, it was found necessary last year to give 

 it extensive repair throughout, owing to which it is now in a very 

 practicable state, though too steep for wheeled carriages. 



This, and all the other ghauts, could be kept in repair at a very 

 trifling expense, if some person were entertained, whose duty it should 

 be to go down the entire line once a month with coolies, to see that 

 no drains or channels had got choked ; for the interruption of one of 

 these outlets for the heavy falls of rain which now and then occur, 

 and which might, if remedied in time, be done by one man in an hour 

 often causes breaches in the road which it takes twenty or thirty men 

 to repair. This ghaut is of considerable importance to the eastern, 

 part of the Hills, as a great deal of traffic in the produce of the cof- 

 fee plantations and of the Burghers' lands goes on by it; and large 

 quantities of low country goods are brought up it for sale and barter. 

 It is also favorably situated for gaining the summit of the Hills on the 

 eastern side, as the ascent of a long spur on which the lower part of 

 the road is carried, is commenced almost immediately after quitting 

 Matepolliera, without having to pass through much low jungle. 



Troops therefore marching to the Hill cantonment could, by leav- 

 ing their camp at MatepolUem at daybreak, ascend into a cool cli- 

 mate before the sun was high enough to distress them. - . 



