THE NULLAMULLAYS. 



large cheetah and its young one, as they had walked before us 

 along the road, right up to and beyond the cultivated fields 

 and where the men were at work clearing fresh jungle. 



Mantyconda. 



By the end of February, the grass had become so long 

 and thick, and the jungle was still so full in foliage north 

 of the Nundycunnama pass, that I almost gave up hopes of 

 being able to see my way about sufficiently for my work. 

 In some places, the grass was nearly up to my shoulder, 

 and it was almost impossible to find the smaller paths. 

 Indeed, the village shikaries and guides from the low-coun- 

 try strongly advised me to wait until the jungle fires should 

 be over, as they, themselves, found it difficult to distinguish 

 any of the paths, except the well-marked ones. However, 

 just asl was beating a retreat, I was joined by Messrs. Thomas, 

 Latham and Ferguson, when we thought it better to make 

 a trial trip.* 



Mantyconda is an inconvenient place to get at from Kur- 

 nool. First of all, Nundial is to be reached, a distance of 

 48 miles, with a ghaut, and with no convenient resting places ; 

 and then there are still 20 miles to the hill-station, 12 of 

 which are in the low-country. About 8 miles north-east of 

 Nundial, there is a village called Singwarum (not marked 

 on the map) which is the nearest place on that line to 

 Mantyconda. 



We got away from this village about 7 A.M., with 30 coo- 

 lies, and in an hour andhalf reached the footof the ghaut at a 

 point north-east of Singwarum, where there is a deep well 

 sunk in slates with bad and dirty water at the bottom. From 

 this point, a ghaut has been made up to the bungalow,f 



* Mr. Sheffield, the Assistant Conservator of Forests, was with the Col- 

 lector, and gave us much useful and interesting information concerning 

 the forest. 



+ Mr.- Mine Inn' ^ bungalow in ruins 



