April — jtjne j 1857.] over the Annamullay Mountains. 101 



exiled lords of the ancient land, when we see^ that rather than 

 serve those who usurped the country they chose to live where the 

 food was beyond their natural powers, and could be eaten only by 

 such a preparation of their teeth. It is possible that in the ab- 

 sence of better arms they reckoned upon these pointed teeth as 

 weapons in case their conquerors should follow them to their 

 mountain home. 



I must say a few words as to the consequences of this short ex- 

 cursion in the Annamullays. As it so happened that in 1847 the 

 Coimbatore district was taken within the limits of my range as 

 Civil Engineer of the 7th Division, the Government offered to place 

 means at my disposal for working the forests on the public account. 

 This I did on being allowed to select Lieut. Michael of the 39th Regt. 

 as the Executive Officer. Mr. Michael undertook the work, and 

 carried it out with great energy. The saving in the cost of teak 

 timber has been very considerable ; and although it has not been 

 found practicable to substitute the saw for the axe in the prepa- 

 ration of the planks used in ship building ; there has not been that 

 reckless waste which characterized the working of the forest for- 

 merly. 



One good effect of Lieut. Michael's labors in the hills has been 

 the emancipation of the hill people from those who rented the 

 wild products of the jungles, and had the monopoly of all that 

 was brought out of them for barter. This monopoly led to the 

 Kaders being in a state of dependence upon any low country 

 shopkeeper who offered the highest rent for the year. And it may 

 be supposed that under such circumstances they had but an indif« 

 ferent market for the produce of their labor, while cultivation on 

 their own account was strictly forbidden by the renters. 



Mr. Thomas, the Collector of Coimbatore, availing himself of the 

 presence of Mr. Michael in the hills, obtained the sanction of Go- 

 vernment for his being invested with the powers of a Magistrate 

 and the discontinuance of the renting system ; and thus gave the 

 Kaders freedom either to cultivate or trade, and to dispose of their 

 products to those who offered them the best price. 



