1837.] 



and Kunnundaven Mountains. 



287 



constantly on the move up and down, accidents are not unfrequent, 

 especially when the paths are steep, winding as they often do on the 

 edge of precipices, where a single false step hurls the unfortunate 

 animal to the bottom of some deep abyss. The path from Coimbatore 

 across the mountains into Travancore, is, perhaps, an exception, and is 

 much frequented by merchants travelling with laden cattle. This is 

 the only road of note both practicable and comparatively easy. On 

 crossing the Chinnar, it leads over a rather flat surface to the Pambar 

 or Ambrawutty, one and a quarter mile. The cattle are here made to 

 swim across, while the merchants pass over a temporary bridge of 

 twenty feet space, between rocks ; through this chasm the river rushes 

 with great violence (only, however, during the periodical rains), 

 thence it ascends a narrow ridge winding on the slope of hills, with the 

 river in a deep hollow on the right, S. W. three and a half miles, it 

 again ascends, and crosses a rivulet two miles, thence ascends a 

 rugged acclivity, and along a flat surface to Shoracolum on the left, 

 one mile. Passing a tract of paddy land, it ascends a paved defile 

 to Keelundur, on the left three miles. From this village it ascends 

 another defile, winds along low slopes (Khandel and Poottur on 

 the right), and ascends, with many windings, the steep pass of 

 Annuwurray, two miles (a road to Munnamanur here goes off" to the 

 left from the summit) ; it assumes a southerly course and crossing some 

 ravines, winding over open table-land, descends to Coondullaytavalum 

 six miles, thence in the same course, river on the left, crosses at three 

 miles to Palacuddavu river, winding on the right, re-crosses it at Nug- 

 graar one and a half mile, river on the left, keeps winding on easy- 

 slopes to Sundunakanultavalum, and crosses the river again below its 

 junction with the Moonar six miles ; the road assuming a southerly 

 course, crosses the Moondrapully, on the right of which, it ascends 

 to a pass W. N. W. of Chokanad hill, two miles, and enters the 

 Naremungalum hills, after having perambulated a desolate tract of 

 about thirty-one and a quarter miles from the Chinnar. This road is 

 only frequented from January to July, and from the excessive length 

 and difficulty, as also from rain at intervals, the merchants from 

 Oodumullaycottah make but one trip ; they start lightly laden with 

 some cloths and culinary articles, and return with areka nut in the 

 months of June and July ; the largest portion of this time they keep 

 moving by gentle stages.* 



* In revising this portion of Captain Ward's Memoir for the press, I have been induced 

 to take the liberty of suppressing the remainder of his rather prolix and unentertaining iti- 

 nerary notices, under the impression that the country being unknown and unfrequented, 



