A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
CHAPTER circumstance, however, which does not prevent the inhabitants 
sending their cattle into it. A beast is occasionally lost; but 
this loss is compensated by the abundance of grass, The woods 
here are not impenetrable, like those of Chittagong , where a luxuri- 
ant growth ov rattans, and climbers of numerous kinds, prevents 
all ingress. Here every thing is stunted, and the trees serve to 
render the grass better, by sheltering it from the sun. 
Insalubrity From the hi lly nature of the surrounding country, both Kingara and 
climate. JViridy are considered as very unhealthy. Fevers, want of appetite, 
and pains in the bowels, are very common, even among the natives. 
Windy. The country about JViridy is beautiful. A small river runs north 
and south through the valley, which is about a mile wide, and ex- 
tends far in the direction of the river. It consists of fields, swell- 
ing like the grounds in Kent, and contains many scattered trees, 
mangoes ( man gif era ), banyans (Ficus bengalensis ), and the like. It is 
on all sides surrounded by hills, most of them covered with wood, but 
some rising into bare rocky peaks. If the rivulet were adequate 
to the other parts of the view, this would be complete; but at 
present it contains only small pools of dirty stagnant water. 
villages. The villages are small and poor, and are not fortified like the 
others in the country ; the woods, by which they are surrounded, 
having probably been sufficient to keep off the irregular troops that 
attend all Indian armies, and which generally are cavalry. In case 
of invasion, the inhabitants have also been accustomed to take 
refuge in the neighbouring hill-fort called Ramagiri . 
Strata. The strata throughout these hills, as well as in the country be- 
tween them and the eastern Ghats, are disposed about north and 
south, by the compass, and are all nearly vertical. Avery common 
stratum here is white quartz running parallel to the gneiss, and dis- 
posed between two strata of that rock. I have observed these 
strata of quartz three feet thick. 
Forests. In rhy evening walk the following plants were shewn to me am 
the woods as being useful. The names are Karnataca . 
