april — june, 1857.] over the Amiamidlay Mountains. 97 



I had no means of ascertaining the height to which I ascended 

 in crossing these hills, but my impression is that I was never more 

 than 1,200 feet above the sea. 



The smugglers at the Annamullays are more dreaded by the peo- 

 ple of the neighbouring country than either the fever, or the wild 

 beasts, which are usually the great cause of alarm to those who 

 pass through the jungles of Malabar. In number they are formi- 

 dable no doubt. I fell in with 60 in two gangs, and I believe that 

 I did not see more than the average of a day at this season. On the 

 second day I left their principal track, but I heard of their having 

 passed in considerable numbers. They carry no arms, but slings, and 

 the bamboo on which they occasionally rest their loads; and have evi- 

 dently, from the reputation for ferocity they keep up on policy, and the 

 nature of the country they traverse, little or no use for weapons of 

 any kind. Nairs, Teers and Moplahs are all concerned in this trade, 

 and it appears that a certain number of the latter are engaged with 

 each gang, as a protection against the parties of that race which 

 may be met with on the road. My Teer guide informed me that 

 without them, a gang of his caste might very probably be attack- 

 ed by one of Moplahs. My guide was a Teer, but the Nairs 

 seem to be more generally the leaders of parties, and many of each 

 gang are men hired for the occasion, who receive five per cent, of 

 the tobacco as their hire. It is evident that men of capital in the 

 open country are the leaders in the trade, and men of superior in- 

 telligence and daring do business with them as the heads of gang?, 

 each having with him a certain number of men in whom he can 

 trust. From the statements given to me by the smugglers, their 

 profit is about cent per cent, on a trip which occupies eight days. 

 They buy of course at a higher rate than the Sircar and sell it at a 

 very much lower price. A cooly earns from 2 to 3 Rupees in a 

 trip, according to the load he carries, and the luck he has in sell- 

 ing the bundles he receives as his hire. 



The only inhabitants of the hills are, I believe, a quiet harmless 

 race of people, who live without houses, but assemble in consider- 

 able numbers in the spot which suits them as a residence for the 

 day or month. I was led to hope that I should see two or three 



