96 



Journal of an Expedition [no. 3, new series, 



of all but a trifling portion of the Annamullay teak ; and a loss 

 of what in a few years money will not purchase. 



A road from the southern Talooks of Coimbatore to Cochin 

 would be of the greatest importance to that district, and do more 

 for the port than any other improvement that could be suggested. 

 It appears very probable also that on enquiry it will be found, that 

 by opening a pass into the teak forests from the low country of 

 Coimbatore, the same communication continued to the westward 

 will serve both to lead the produce of Poolachy and Odamulla- 

 cottah by a direct line to water carriage, and take this vast amount 

 of timber to Cochin. 



A road for timber, on which it would be necessary to move very 

 great weights, should, I imagine, differ in one respect from the line 

 which would be opened for general traffic. The slightest ascents 

 should be avoided at some sacrifice of distance, but from the 

 nature of the country I explored, and the gradual fall in the rivers 

 I crossed, I am inclined to think that the road opened for the 

 heavier timber carriages would answer well enough for other traffic, 

 bringing the produce of the southern Talooks of Coimbatore with- 

 in 70 miles of water carriage and little more than 100 of the port 

 of Cochin. 



From the teak forest I descended into the plain of Coimbatore 

 by a pass opened for the transport of timber, and after riding 15 

 miles arrived at Annamullay soon after dark. 



The distance we passed over, since leaving Malliatoor, calculated 

 by time with a careful memorandum of the rate at which we 

 moved is 57 miles ; of which 53 are through an unbroken jungle. 

 This would in most parts of my division be 53 miles of danger 

 from fever, but here I really think the danger is very trifling. At 

 Malliatoor (which at a distance has the character of being feverish) 

 I found very little fear of deadly fever in the neighbouring forest. 

 The smugglers declared to me that they did not suffer from it, 

 although the greater part of them are coolies hired for the occasion 

 and not at all acclimatized. The first I heard of fever, was on the 

 side of Coimbatore where the people cutting timber had in the 

 last few days begun to suffer from it. 



