1849.] 



exercised hy Trees on Climate, 



463 



by the periodical rains, and in the other will add by percolation to 

 the supplies of lands on a lower level. 



The wetness of the land said to be so remarkable in the extensive 

 tracts of forests that coyer a large portion of the interior of South 

 America, I should be disposed to ascribe less to the obstruction 

 . offered by the abundance of decayed vegetable matter on the 

 surface than to the want of slope in the soil to carry off the rain 

 water. 



The plains of the river Amazon at 3,000 miles from the Atlantic 

 are stated by Humboldt to be not more than 1,200 feet above the 

 sea, giving a slope of only 4| inches per mile in a direct line, and not 

 probably half of that by the course of the rivers. In the south of 

 India the slope will seldom I believe be found less than 4 or 5 feet 

 per mile on a direct line. 



I have the honor to be, &c. 

 Resident's Office, -i^ W. Cullek, M. G., 



Cochin, 2>\st March^ 1849. J Resident, 



P. S. — About the same time that I received the order of the Go- 

 vernment to prepare this report, I also received a similar communi- 

 cation from the Board of Revenue requesting my opinion on the ques- 

 tion ; and as I observe that the Government have entrusted to that 

 Board the duty of drawing up a general report on the subject, I hope 

 I shall merely have been ar.ticipating the wishes of the Right Honor- 

 able the Governor in Council, in transmitting direct to that Board a 

 copy of this communication. 



Original Tables of the fall of Hain, hy General Cullen. 



QuiLON TO Palamcottah. 





Miles 



.... 25 



30 



36 



41 



.'52 



70 







Puttana- 



Shala- 



Koraven- 





iShencot- 



Faiam- 





Quilon. 



pooram. 



curray. 



tavalum. 



Caldoorty. 



tah. 



cottah. 







150 l^eet. 



100 Feet. 



350 Feet. 



750 Feet. 



600 Feet. 



150 Feet. 





Inches. 



Inches. 



Inches. 



Inches. 



Inches. 



Inches. 



Inche.s. 



1844 



60 



103 



na 



lib 



133 



24 



114 



1845 



62 



83 



88 



113 



114 



43 



254 



184« 



74* 



98 



103 



97 



136 



414 



18 



1847 



8;j| 



n-i 



123 



134 



158 



70 



47 



1848 



46 



79 



103 



106 



106 



32J 



15 



Mean, . 



65 



99 



106 



113 



128 



42:^ 



24 



