116 



Some Account, Historical, Geographical 



[July 



south-eastern base of the Cuddapah hills, it escapes through the valley 

 of Sidhout ?ndthe Nellore district to the Bay of Bengal. Its tributary 

 streams are the Chitravati, the Coond, the Paupugni, the Maundavia, 

 the Paugher, the Baugonuddi, the Saggelair, the Goongaina, and a few 

 others of minor note. 



None of the rivers of the Ceded Districts are navigated for the pur- 

 poses of trade beyond the transit of merchandize over the ferries ; and, 

 with the exception of the Kistnah and the Tumbuddra, serve merely for 

 the purposes of irrigation and as channels of drainage during the rains. 

 During the greater part of the year the beds present a sandy waste, and 

 the banks a succession of barren sand dunes. The Kistnah and Tum- 

 buddra have in many places rocky banks and beds, which, added to the 

 rapidity of their currents, are great obstacles to navigation. They are 

 unfordable commonly from June to October or November j but this of 

 course must depend on the monsoon. A large quantity of carbonate of 

 lime is deposited in all by their tributaries, on whose banks it is often 

 seen in mounds and large beds, often forming a conglomerate with the 

 pebbles and sand brought down by the streams. 



Ferries. — The principal ferries from the Ceded Districts into the 

 Nizam's countries over the former are those of Mooiconda and Purwut- 

 turn : and over the latter those of Kurnool, Madaveram, Naguldinny, 

 Hulhully, Bijanugger, Humpsagur and Mangala. The two last lead to 

 the Southern Mahratta Country. 



These ferries are crossed by means of the w T elI known basket boats 5 

 one or two of which, belonging to the Government, are generally station- 

 ed at each ferry, and a similar number belonging to the Nizam on the 

 opposite bank; but in cases of emergency, for instance for the passage 

 of troops, from twenty to thirty can be collected at any given spot at a 

 few days warning. They are generally from six to eleven feet in dia- 

 meter, and the largest will readily admit of the transit of a mounted 6 

 pounder. One of 15 feet in diameter and between 3 and 4 feet deep, 

 with flat bottom, and straight or slightly curved sides, will carry a brass 

 18 pounder or8 inch howitzer mounted, or a tumbril loaded with ammuni- 

 tion. The boats can be easily carried with troops on the shoulders of 

 coolies. The invention of these useful means of transport is of consi- 

 derable antiquity among eastern nations : Herodotus observed boats of 

 a similar construction on the Euphrates near Babylon. The banks of the 

 Tumbuddra, at the principal military ferry into the Southern Mahratta 

 Country at. Humpsagur, are 1,159 feet asunder ; at Hulhully into the 

 Nizam's country 1,642 feet, and at Madaveram and Kurnool ; on the mili- 

 tary roads from Bellary and Bangalore to Hydrabad, about 1,900 feet. 



