80 



TH E N ULL AM V LL A.YS. 



These people are supposed to feed on almost anything, vege- 

 table or animal, which they can get. 



After getting out of the valley and rising up on the ele- 

 vated ground of the plateau between the Bolapilly and 

 Brumeshwar valleys, the jungle becomes thinner, with trees 

 that are not of much value. But the path does not follow 

 the higher part of the plateau ; and the ground to the 

 south or towards Brumeshwar seemed to be well-wooded. 



From the Yellagode side I worked in February, and then 

 the jungle had become much more open, owing to the burn- 

 ing of the long grass, and the trees shedding their leaves ; 

 but this part of the range is not at all well-covered with 

 forests, except just in the depths of the stream valleys. The 

 Yellagode Cunnama does not rise above 2,250 feet. On the 

 west side of the mountains, it is evident that there was a great 

 track, from the rut which has been worn in the middle of 

 the path by the dragged timber. There are two watering 

 places on this road, about half way across ; bnt one of these 

 was drying up rapidly in February. In December there 

 was a large dark pool of water in this place and plenty of 

 shade from the trees ; now, with the water nearly dried-up,, 

 the forest was tolerably open. This apparent opening or 

 clearing of the forest is due to the wonderful falling of the 

 leaves as the hot weather comes on, the ground being quite 

 yellow and crackling with the debris of foliage, among 

 which are principally to be recognized the leaves of the Teak, 

 Goomer Teak, Bauhinia (gigantic creeper), and Bamboo. 



The Goota Cunnama. 



In January we made an expedition by the Goota Cun- 

 nama pass, which used to lead across the mountains from 

 Koodrar in the Khoondair valley to Kistnumshettypully on 

 the Cummum side. We hoped to have done this in one day, 



