49 
MYSORE, CANARY, AND MALABAR. 
land is more hilly than any between the Ghats and Bangalore. It CHAPTER 
is very rocky and bare, and does not contain even copse wood, 
Some part of our route led by the banks of a small river, which 
contained a little running water. 
It is here alleged, that Tippoo's regulations, prohibiting trade Smuggling, 
to the dominions of the Nabob of Arcot, were very ill observed, 
and that passports were privately given to traders by the principal 
officers of government. The Sultan’s table was served with coun- 
try salt, and his nobles attended the court in their native manu- 
factures; but, among the rich at home, sea-salt, and the cloths of 
Europe, Bengal , and Madras, were in constant use.. 
13 th May . — Went to Wiridy, or Biridy, a place which derives its Appearance 
name from the tree so called in the Karnataca language, and which is j^ r> thc coua 
either -the same, or very nearly resembles, the Pterocarpus Sissoo of 
Dr. Roxburgh. The country through which I passed is one con- 
tinued copse: but, as at Wiridy, there is a valley about a mile wide, 
and as there are some small villages scattered in the woods, I cal- 
culate the arable part of the country at about a sixth part. I 
observed no watered land. 
There are, indeed, some small reservoirs ; but the water contained Reservoirs, 
in these, is destined merely to supply the cattle with drink. A small 
reservoir of this kind in th zKarnataca language is calledCWta?/,as the 
large ones for watering the lands are called Garays. They are both 
formed exactly in the same manner, by building a mound or dam, 
of earth and stone, across a hollow ground. Large reservoirs, or 
Garays , might no doubt be formed every where in a hilly country ; 
but, where there is not a sufficient extent of level land with a good 
soil for the cultivation of rice, the expense of such works would far 
exceed the profits. 
The uncultivated land is very hilly, and in many places rocky ; Woods, 
yet some of it seems capable of being rendered arable. Except for 
fewel, the wood is of very little use, as it is in general too small for 
planks, or beams. Tigers are very numerous among the copse; a 
Vol. I. H 
