MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 33 
V- » '> ’ . ‘ f* • 
■ 1 m , f n • 1 
The mud here is excellent for making walls. It is a reddish fer- CHAPTER 
ruginous clay intermixed with small fragments of quartz, and 
other materials of decayed granite; and a wall constructed of it Mud build- 
will, with tolerable care, resist the rains for many years. So good in§s ° 
is it, that in many towns and villages, the houses have flat roofs 
terraced with this mud, which is laid on in the dry season, and 
turns the rain very well. The houses and huts have their walls 
universally built of this mud ; and have a tolerable appearance, the 
mud being smoothed, and painted on the outside, with alternate 
vertical broad stripes of white and red. The white is lime, 
and the red colour is given by a ferruginous clay, which is 
called Caym-munnu in the Karnataca language, Shay-manu in the 
Tellinga, and Erra-manii in the I ennui. The huts aie built in the 
form of a parallelogram, without veranda or windows, 01 any 
other vent for the smoke than the doors. Rich men, instead of en- 
larging the house, generally build a number of similar huts in 
the form of a square, sufficient to accommodate their families, 
which are always numerous. 
It is said by the people here, that for two months from this Weather, 
time, they expect to have occasional rains, with strong westerly 
winds. In the two succeeding months much wind, and almost 
constant rain usually prevail. In September and October the winds 
abate, and there are only occasional showers. After this comes 
cold weather with heavy dews. In the hot weather preceding 
the rainy season, there is very little dew. 
Baydamungulum was formerly the residence of a Polygar, and Baydamun- 
a considerable place. In the dispute for the dominion, between its 8 ulum ' 
ancient lord and Hyder , the town suffered exceedingly, and is now 
reduced to sixty or seventy miserable houses fortified by a mud 
wall, and some towers in a ruinous state. At the south side are the 
remains of a large fort, now totally useless; but at the noith side 
is another fort, not so far decayed. One end of this the inhabitants 
have lately repaired as a last resource, and say that they will defend 
Vol. I F 
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