Coorg Gazette 1878

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BY

LEWIS

RICE,

DirectorofPiillie Inxtr.„..,n,Mysoreandi'oor/y.

VOL.

Ill

COORG.

v

N

G

A

L

3 E

:

MYSORE

GOVERNMENT

TRESS,

187S.

&

£

49

CORNELL

UNIVERSITY

LIBRARY

A

v ,3

CORNELLUNIVERSITYLIBRARY

The

original of

this

book

is

in

the Cornell

University

Library.

There

are

no

known

copyright

restrictions

in

the

United

States

on

the

use

of

the

text.

M

Y

S

E

E

AtfD

COORGL

%

©ajetteer

compile

for tfje

©obernmmt

of

Enota.

BY

LEWIS

RICE,

Director of PublicInstruction,Mysore and Coorg.

VOL.

III.

COORG.

BANGALORE:

MYSORE

GOVERNMENT

PRESS,

1878.

v

(:*UUh

rl

If."

CONTENTS.

Physical

Geogbaphv

Floba

Fauna

Physical Features•_{—Situation. Area, Boundaries,}

1;Scenery and

general appearanceof the coantry, 2;Mountains, 3; Geology, 5;

Rivers, 7; lakes,tanks, wells, 10.

Meteorology-.—Seasons, 11; Temperature, 12

j Rainfall, 13 ;

Climate, 14.

Forests:—Male Kidn,15; KaniveK4du, 18jFerns, 26; Vegetable Productsfromjungletreesandplants,27.

Crops

and

Cultivation:—Rice, 29-, Cardamoms, 32; Coffee,

35; exportsofcoffee,41; coffee estates, 41; Chinchona,43;Sugar

cane, 44; Cotton, 44; Plantain, 45; Rheea, 46;Chocolate, 48;

Nutmeg, 48; Fruit trees, 48. Vegetables, 48. Dry Grains,

49.

Mammals,50; Birds,63; Reptiles,69; Fishe3,72; Insects,73.

Page.

1

—

1

15—49

50—84

History

Legendary

Period:

—

K£ve>iPurina, 85; Chandra Varmma,89;

Devakanta,92.

HistoricalPeriod•,—Kadambas, 93;Cheras,97; HoysalaBallalai,

98; Vijayanagar, 98;Coorg Rajas, 99; Haidar Ali, 109',Tippu

Sultan, 110; DoddaVira Rajendra, 112; Welsh's Reminiscences,

149; flightofChanna Basava,167;British invasion, 173;

deposi-tionof the Raja, 175; annotation of Coorg,189; Col. Fraser,190;

Victoria Gauramma» 193; the Fretsnder, 195; Rebellion, 197;

loyalty of the Coorgs, 200.

Page.

IHHABITANTS ... ... ... •••

202—256

Aboriginal tribes, 202; Numbers and Castes of the Population,203; Hindus, 204; Brahmans, 204; Kshattriyna, 205; Vaisyai, 205

;

Sudras, 206;Jaini,210; Lingayits,210; Marka, 210; Panchala,

210; Mendicants, 211; Outcastes, 212; Wandering Tribes, 214;

Wild Tribes, 214. Muhammadans, 216. Christians, 217.

Kodagas

or CoorgS:—Appearance, 218; Dress, 219;

Do-mestic arrangements, 221; Takkas or council of elders, 226;

Amma

Kodagas, 227;the Coorg house; 228; prescriptive law of

inheritance,231. CoorgCustoms-.—Wedding and marriedlife,231;

WeddingSong,234;Childbirth,239; Death andfaneralceremonies,

240; Funeral Song, 241. Coorg Festivals;—Kaveri feast, 242;

Huttarifeast, 245;Bhagavatifeast,251; Kailmurta festival, 253.

Urbanpopulation, 255;Dwellings,255;Occupations. 255.

Alphabeticallistofcastes ... ... ... ... 256

Religion ... ... ... ...

257

—

279

Coorgdeities,257;Ancestor worship,259;Demonworship,260;Serpent and Tree worship, 263; Grama devata, 264;Pilgrimages, 266

;

Hinduism, 269; Muhammadaniam, 271; Christianity, 271;

Roman Catholics, 271;Protestants,273.

Lahgttagh ... ... ... ...

279—296

KodagU,279; itsRelationship,279;Grammar,279; Orthography,

279;Etymology; 281; Syntax, 290. Literature, 291; Huttari

orHarvest Song,293;Queen's Song,295;Proverbs,396.

Art

and Industhy ... ... ... ...

297

311

Architectural

Remains

\—Ancient Sepulchres,297;Kolle-kallu,

298; Kadangas,300; Forts, 301; Palaces,₃₀₂;Mausoleums, S04.

Industrial Arts, 306. Trade and Commerce, 306; Exports,

307;Imports, 308;Fairs, 309, Wagts andPrices;—Wages 309;Prices,311.

Administration ... ... ... 312 409

Under

the Kajas of Coorg•.—Lar.d System, 312; Revenue, 317; Panniyas,318;royal authority,319; subordinateauthorities,

P«ge-At

the time of

Annexation:—

Land Tenures, 328; Dhuli

batta,342; Housetax,343; Ghee tat,343; Accounts,344; Jama

bandi,345; Patels346;Panniyas, 347; Slaves,347

British

Administration.

.Early

System:—

Revenue,S51;Civil Justice,353; Criminal

Jus-tice,357; Police,359.

Existing

System

:

—

Civil Departments; Bevenue andFinance,

361; State Revenue, 361; Land Revenue, 363 ;Jamma tenure,

363; Sagu tenure,366; Umbali tenure, 358;Jodi tenure,368;

Ghee tax,368; Housetax, 369; Dhuli paddy tax, 369; Waste

LandRules, 371; Coffee, 375; Survey, 379; Cardamoms, 379

;

Forests,380; Abkari,383; Sayar, 384; Mohatarfa, 384; Stamp?, 384;PostOffice,385;Telegraph,385;LocalFunds, 385;Municipal

Funds,385;StateExpenditure, 386.—

Law

and

Justice,:—

Legislation, 387; Courts, 388; Civil Justice, 391;Registration,

392;CriminalJustice, 393;Prisons, 394;Police, 396.—Public

Works,

397.—PublicInstruction, 401.—Medical,408;

Vaccination,409.—Military,409.

GAZETTEER

ofprincipal places, rivers, mountains,&c. ... ... 410

—

427

Appendices.

I.—Namesof placesinKannada andRomanletters. ••• (1—5)

II.—TheIkkeri,Keladi, orBedum- dynasty. ... ... (1—5)

HI.—Glossary ofCoorg wordsoccurring inRevenue andJudicialwork. (1—6)

Addenda etCorrigenda.

Index. ... ...

-

-

(1—

H)

Illustrations.

MapofCoorg ...

-

-

frontiespiece.

CoffeeBorerbeetle ... •• •••

—

P" 7* Ovipositorof do magnified ... ... ••• 75

SealofViraRajendra ...

—

•••

—

102

ACoorg armed ... ... ... ••• •* ''"

COORG.

PHYSICAL

FEATURES.

What

Wales

isto England, Coorgis to Mysore, in miniature; a

picturesque

mountain

region, situatedon its western side.

But

though governed bythe

same

ChiefCommissioner, CoorgisBritish territory,

and

forms no part of Mysore. Itsname, properly Kodagu, said to

mean

'steep mountains', graphically depicts thecharacter of this interesting

alpine land.

The

country is formed by the

summits

and

eastern declivities of

the

Western

Ghats, which separate it on the south-west from the

woody

tracts of the

Wynad

and

North

Malabar,

and

onthe north-west

from South

Canara

or the Tulu country.

On

the northit is partially

separated

from

the

Mysore

Malnad

of Manjarabad, of which it is

naturally acontinuation, by the rivers

Kumaradhari

and

Hemavati-Eastwards

itmerges into the tableland of Mysore, the boundaryfor

some

distance being

marked

by

the riverKaveri.

The

greater part of the

westernfrontieris

from

20

to 30 miles from the sea.

Geographicallyspeaking, it liesbetween northlatitude 11°55

and

12° 50,'

and

between east longitude 75° 25'

and

76° 14' ; and embraces

an

area

computed

at 1,580 square miles* Its greatestlength, fromthe

Hemavati

inthe north to Davasi betta inthe south, extends over

60

miles;

and

its greatest breadth, from Sampaji inthe westto Fraserpet

in the east, about

40

miles. Itsshape on the

map

has been

compared

tothat ofaninfant'sknittedboot, the heel pointing north-west,

and

the toe south-east.

A

narrow arm, about 12 miles long, by about 6 wide,

projectsnorthwardsinto

Mysore

on the northeast.

Standing on a bright

November

morning onthe

summit

ofthe

Brahma-girinear Tale Kaveri, the head orsource of that river, the ob-serverisfilledwithdelight

and

admiration ofthe grand and picturesque

*ForthisestimateIam indebtedtoCaptain R. M.Clerk, incharge of theRevenue Survey

nowin progress. Jn theCensusReportandsubsequentofficialdocuments, the area has beenassumedas

2,000squaremiles,on what groundisnotknown.Lieutenant Connor'sSurveyof1817gavean areafor

Coorgatthattimeof2,165 squaremiles,or 1,585abovethe ghatsand 580below,;but the

* PHYSICAL FEATURES.

view that opens out before him.

As

farastheeye can reachtothe north-westandsouth-east, it beholds ridgeafter ridgeof grassy or

forest-clad hills,

now

gently sloping

down

in

wavy

lines,

now

bold

and

abrupt,

raising their steep

summits

into theclearblueair. Kudaremukha-betta,

the farseen

landmark

of themariner, burstsintoview from

Canara

: the

Bettadapur

and

Chamundi

hills in Mysore, the

Wynad

mountains of Malabar,

and

eventherange of the distant Nilagiris are clearly visible

;

whileinthe west,at a distance ofabout 30 milesbelowthe steep precipi-ces ofthe Ghats, the coast-lineof North

Malabar

and South Canara,

intersected bybroad,bright, serpentine rivers,

and

beyond, the dark-blue

Indian

Ocean

dotted with sailingcraft, fascinate the spectator.

CoorgProper, which occupies the central portion of the country,

is covered with forest,save here

and

therewherethe clearing ofacoffee

plantation or ragipatch,orthe park-like open glades (bane) with their

beautifulgreensward

and

variedfoliage, afford a charming variety to the

landscape. In vain,however, the eye searches fortowns

and

villages,or other indications of civilizedlife.

Only

here and there innooks

and

corners, ensconced

amongst

groves or clusters of cultivated trees,

and

betrayedbya wreath ofsmoke, can one discoverthe thatched houses oftheCoorgs,

who

love asecluded abode neartheirfields.

The want

ofpermanent sheets of water, suchasextensivetanksor

prominent rivers,

may

be considered as

somewhat

detracting fromthe

perfection of the landscape, butduring a heavy mist inNovember, or

inthe monsoon, fancy

may

easily transform the whole country into

innumerableislands emerging from a vast agitatedsea.

The

general appearanceof the country varies considerably inthe

differentdistricts. Inthe vicinity ofSomavarpet, inthenorth ofCoorg,

the hills are gently rounded, alternating with sloping glades,

inter-spersed with clumpsof foresttrees, resembling the finest park scenery

in Europe. Near Mercara, thehills arecloser together

and

more

ab-rupt, and the ravines deeperand

more

wild.

Towards

Fraserpet, the

country assumesthe champaign character of theMysore plateau,with

scattered solitary hills. SouthofMercara, inthedirection ofVirajpet,

especiallyin Beppu-nad and Kadyet-nad,the country isopen, the

woods

are neither dense nor high,

and

beautiful grassy

downs

rise from

extensive rice valleys.

The

easternfrontier, between the Kaveri

and

Lakshmantirtharivers, exhibitsan almostuninterruptedjungle,

inhabit-edinJanuary, February and

March

by

Kurambar, Lambani and

other

MOUNTAINS. 3

Mountains.— The

most

prominent ridge ofmountains in Coorg, as to height

and

exteDt, is that which culminates in the

summits

of the

Western

Ghats. Itstretchesin'its

main

outline,

from

Subrahmanya

in

thenorth-west to the furthest point of theBrabmagiris inthe south,

over

upwards

of

60

miles. Seen fromthe

Western

Coast near

Cannan-ore, theabrupt ascent,withthe greatheightandvaried configuration of theGhats, present a

most grand and

imposingspectacle.

The

most

conspicuous subdivisions of the Ghats are,

—

inthe south, the Brabmagirisor

Marenad

hills, whichconstitute a formidable natural

barrierbetween Coorg

and

Wynad.

Their heightaverages

some

4,500

feet above the level ofthe sea.

The

highest peakof the Brahmagiris

is Davasi betta,which towers several

hundred

feet above abeautiful table-land called Huyale-male,

and

overlooks the templeof

Pemmaiya

atTiranelli in "Malabar inthe deepvalleyof the

Papanashe

river,

and

beyond

itthe extensive coffee plantations

and

high mountainsof

North

Wynad.

Further on, to thewest, risetheHanuman-betta, the

Kadanga-male

and the Perumale-male.

The

many

spurs that branchoff in all

directions

from

theBrahmagiris over the wholeofKiggatnad

and

onto

theeastern elbow of theriver Kaveri, produce a ramificationof

narrow-ridged hills,

now

ascendingtoalmost solitarygrandeur,likethe

Ambate-betta nearVirajpet, the Bittangala, the Hattur hillorKundada-betta,

the Siddesvara hill

and

Maukal-betta,

now

subsiding intothe

undula-ting slopesof the

most

eastern elevations,

and

enclosing innumerable

paddy-fields,

some

ofwhichare themostextensiveinCoorg.

From

the

Perambadipass

near Virajpet tothe Todikanapass near

thesource of the Kaveri, the

main

chain ofthe

Western Ghats

extends

in

a

north-westerly direction, in almost astraightline of

30

milesin

length.

Towards

the westitfallswith great abruptness, the descentfrom

the

summit

to thefootbeinggenerallyfrom 3 to 5 miles, thefirst part of

which

isparticularly steep. Behind

Nalkuid

palace, Tadiandamol, the

highest mountain ofthisrange, raises itsgracefully shaped headover its

majestic neighbours. Itsheightis5,729 feetabove thelevelofthesea.*

The

ascentiseasy;two-thirdsof it

may

be achievedon horseback,and though thetopmostportionis rather difficult, the persevering climber

is richly rewarded for his exertion

when

in the cool bracing air be

stands on the narrow ledgeof the giddy

summit and

gazes over the gloriouslydiversified highlands and lowlands athisfeet.

• This Midother heightswhich follow aretakenfrom the charts of the Great Trigonometricftl Surrey.

4

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

About

G miles to the south-east of

Tadiandamol

rises the

Joma

mile, the highestmountainin Kadyetnad. It is sacredtoMaletambiran

(Tambiran, a

Malayalam

god)

and

overlooks the Kodantorapass.

Two

milesto thenorth-eastof

Tadiandamol

thereisanother mountaingiant,

the Iggudappa-kundu, near the Paditorapass,

and

threemiles further

on, thePerurpoint,andfourmilesstillfurtherthe Srimangalapoint.

The

lastnotablemountaininthe

same

range istho Brahmagiri in

Tavunad

atthe source of theriver Kaveri.

At an acute angle

upon

thisline, the

main

chain of the

Ghats

is continuedin adueeasterly direction as theBenga-nadrange,till,nearing

Mercara,it

makes

a sudden turntothe north-west,

and

forms with the

latter the Sampaji valley,which leadsby a gradualslope into the low

country of Canara. At the headofthevalley, andsupportedby a high

ridge with steep abutmentsonits southernfront, theMercara table-land

issituated. This ridgebranches off intwo directions, one towardsthe

south-eastern elbow ofthe Kaveri, culminating in thepointed peakof Nurokal-betta,

and

the other, the Horur branch, dueeast in azigzag

line towards Fraserpet,withseveral rugged hills, the

most

remarkable

ofwhichis Kallur-betta, clothed with teakforest.

The

Nurokal and Benga-nad range

make

up

with the

Western

Ghats the watershed of theupperbasin of the Kaveri, a valley which between Mercara and

Nalknad

is 15 English miles broad.

From

the

main

chain of the Ghats andthe Benga-nad range,

in-numerable ridges jut outon either side. Theseare diminutive

when

compared

with the parent stock ; and they decrease inheight asthey

recede,but havealmost everywhere narrow summits

and

steep

decli-vities.

The

table-land of Mercara, whichis 3,809 feet above sea level at

the Fort, maintains throughout an average altitudeof 3,500feet,

and

may

be saidto extend asfar as Somawarpet, a distanceof26 miles,but

onthe eastit slopes

down

towards the Kaveri, which near Fraserpetis

stillat an elevation of2,720 feetabove thesea. This plateau,crossed

in alldirectionsbyminorhills

and

ridges, is bounded onthe westbythe

continuation ofthe Ghats, whichculminate near theBisilu-pass in the

Subrahmanya

or Pushpagiri hill, 5,626 feetabovethe sea level. This

isa remarkable two-pointed hillofprecipitousheight

and

peculiar shape,

and

resembles, asseenfrom Mercara, agigantic bullock

hump.

The

GEOLOGY. 5

face ofthehill, canonly beeffected by a circuitous route, is

more

diffi-cult thanthat of Tadiandatnol. Starting fromBhagati, atthe base of

the Pushpagiri, it isabout 6 miles walking, the ascent taking a good walker 3 hours,

and

the descent to theHiridi-gadde of the Bidehalli

village 2hours.

A

densejungle,deartowild elephants, hastobe

pene-trated,

and

the ascent issevere; butthe

summit

commands

an

extensive

prospect over Coorg, Canara

and

Mysore. There are on thishill

nu-merous

Hindu

memorials inthe shape of stone mounds. Within an

enclosure there are two rude stone structures, with the customary

im-print oftwo feet(pdda) saidto be ofcelestial origin.

•Amongst the

many

ridges that branch off

from

the

Subrahmanya

rangeof theGhats, the

most

remarkable isthatwhich attainsits great-est heightin Kote-betta, about 9 miles north ofMercara. Its eleva-tion is 5,375 feet,

and

itsbase covers avery large extent ofcountry.

Its summit, whichisdivided into two peaks, one rather pointed

—

the

Harangal-betta

—

and

the other broad, forms a comparatively flattable land, whileitssides are clothedwithforest,

and

innumerable cultivated

valleysoccupy therecesses. Close to the apexthere are two reservoirs

of water, one forthe use ofthe

Brahmans

and one for the Coorgs,which

all theyearroundretain aconstant supply. Close to the summit, on a

spacious platform, is a small temple ofrough granite slabs dedicated to

Siva. Thishill, as well as the Nurokal-betta, offer, on accountoftheir

height

and

centralposition, thefinest general viewof

Coorg

;and even

to the lover of nature familiar with

mountain

glories in Scotland,

Switzerland orItaly,no

more

delightful excursion couldbe

recommended

thanthatto thesehills.

From

Kote-bettatothe north, there is anotherridgerunning

paral-lel withit,the Santhallihills,

and

beyond

them

is abluff hill with

al-most

a precipitousdeclivityonitswestern face

—

the Mdkri-betta, witha

finecoffeeplantation at itsbase.

The

lastremarkable range, that which extends

from

the northern

frontierofCoorg

down

tothe Kaveri almost duesouth,isthe Telusavira

hills, with the Malimbi and

Kanangala

peak.

The

former is

distin-guished by its beautifully conical shape, whichstrikes the eyein every part of Coorg. Its altitudeis 4,488feet.

The

geologicalformation of the Coorg mountainsis indicated

by

the

sharply defined outline of the

Western

Ghats, afeature characteristicof

how-b _{PHYSICAL FEATURES.}

ever, followed by scorchingeastwinds and a burning sun, has greatly

affected the surface ofthe mountains,

and

aperpetual processof

disinte-gration of the uppermost portions has imparted to

them

a

somewhat

rounded appearance, which does not occur where the atmospheric

influences are less severe,

and

the alternation oftemperature less

sud-den.

The

several

members

ofthe metamorphic class ofrocks, of which

the Coorg mountainsconsist,

may

be found in almost every mountain

torrent.

They

are : granular and foliatedor stratified granite (gneiss),

which consistsofquartz, felspar and mica ; syenite, a rock of the

ap-pearance ofordinary granite, in

which

however hornblendeis substituted

for mica ; and mica-schist, a slaty rock chiefly composedof mica

and

quartz, sometimeswith

imbedded

garnets.

Near

Mercara

may

be found

clay-slateor argillaceous schist ofcoarsevariety. Thisconsists ofsilica

and alumina,combined witha little iron, magnesia, potash and'carbon.

Amorphous

limestone is presentin the neighbourhood ofBellur near

Fraserpet, and suppliesnearlyall the requirementsfor building purposes

inCoorg.

Among

this limestone, whichis

dug

out fromthe groundin

small earthylumpslike the

kunkur

in the N.

W.

Provinces,

and

which is

perhaps

more

properly termedmagnesianlimestone, nodulesofmagnesite

are occasionally

met

with.

A

ferruginouslaterite,

composed

ofsilicateof alumina

and

oxydeof

iron, appears sporadically inalmost every part of Coorg. Likewiseiron

ore intheshape of cylindrical, rootlikelumps.

The

ingredients ofall theserocks, which are subject to an un-ceasing processofdecomposition, constitutethe nature ofthesoil allover the country, and, as amatter ofcourse,onthe predominanceof theone

'

or other or severalof theirconstituent parts, combined with other

con-ditions, depends aselsewhere thefertility or sterilityofthe ground. Felsparis very

common, and

yields a rich soil. Veins of itare

laidbare along the banksof the

Ghat

roads. In

many

places it is

re-ducedtoawhite powder,'thekaolinorporcelain clay,withwhich

market-able

chunam

is adulterated. Mica is frequently seen, and here

and

there the roads glitterwithits shining scales. After heavy showers, the

water channels along the sides ofroads whichhave been metalledwith syenite appear covered with asparkling blackish sand, thehornblende

ofthe decomposedsyenite.

Common

quartz occurs most frequentlyin

RIVERS.

ashes ofthematti(terminaliacoriacea), atree largely distributed allover the eastern partsof Coorg, proves the presence of limestonein thesoil

of that region.

There are no mines in Coorg,

and

it

would

appear that, except traces of iron in the shapeof oxydes,

no

metalsexist.

Rivers.—From

the configuration of the country,it is evident that the

main

drainageofCoorg is inan easterly directiontowards the

Bay

of Bengal, while the

mountain

torrents of the westerndeclivities ofthe

Ghats

_{flow into the Indian Ocean.}

The

Coorgriversare notremarkable either forwidthor depth, but

their watersupply is _everywhere abundant throughout the year.

As

their sources arehigh

up

in the mountains,

and

theircourses over steep

declivities, the streamsare impelledwith greatrapidity over generally

very rocky beds, _{which render}

_them

almost wholly useless for

naviga-tionof

any

kind,

and

owing tothe height oftheir banks

and

the

uneven-ness of the country, few of

them

allow of artificial irrigation, but the

rivulets areeverywhere laidunder contribution.

The

minor streams varyonlyinsize, which depends

upon

the length

oftheircourse, theirgeneral characteristicsbeing the same.

They

swell

with the freshesin the earlypartofJune, andflowwithviolent and

bois-terous rapidity till October,

when

they gradually subsideto their

normal

dimensions.

Of

theriversthat flow tothewestward,the Bara-poleis the

most

considerable. It riseswith the Lakshmantirtha

and Papanashe

onthe

same

plateau of the Brahmagiri hillsin Kiggatnad, andflows for several miles in almost astraightline, through adeep mountaingorge,

where

it

isjoined by atributary that falls over a perpendicular rock of great height,and forms abeautifulcascade nearthe Kudial coffeeestate,

Near

the

Malayalam

frontier, theBara-pole leapsinto a deepchasm,

and

forms

awaterfallthat,withthe wildgloomy forestscenery around,isremarkably

picturesque.

Then

for twomilesthis riverrunsalong theCoorgfrontier,

up

tothe point where the Kalla-hole, descending through the

Heggala-pass,unites withit,

when

the combined streamsenter

Malabar and

de-bouch near Chirakalinto thesea.

The

Bara-polereceives the rainfallof

192

square miles,

and

is navigable from the sea to within 16miles off

the foot of the Ghats.

On

the roadto

Cannanore

it is _{spanned by}

several bridges.

O PHYSICAL FEAIORES.

the Sampajivalley, and followsthe

main

roadas far as Sulya,

when

it turns tothewest, receives atributary that originates on the western

slopes ofthe Todikana pass

and

Tale Kaveri, and falls,under the

name

ofBasavaniriver,intothe seanear Kasergod.

The Kumdradhuri

risesnear the

Subrahmanya

hill,

and

carries off

butlittle ofthe Coorgwaters.

For

some

distance itforms the northern

boundary along the Bisilu-pass.

A

number

of tributaries from north

and

south swell its waters, the largest of

them

being the Netravati,

whichjoins it near the villageofUppinangadi

and

thenceforth gives its

own name

to the restof the course of this fine river, which near Mangalore meetsthe sea.

The

Netravati, though useless forpurposes

ofirrigation, is of considerable commercial value. Boatsof large size

are safely carried from Mangalore asfar as Bantwal or Pani

Manga-lore,

and

smaller craftproceed even beyond Uppinangadi.

The

chief of the Coorgrivers, both as to size and importance,

istheKaveri; considering thevolumeofwateritgathers duringa course

of nearly

400

miles through Mysore, along

Salem

and Coirnbatore,

through Trichinopoly toTanjore, whereitis almostlostin thatgarden

of south India, theKaveri

may

well beincluded amongst thsprincipal

rivers of the Peninsula. It rises ontheBrahmagiri, ata place called

Tale Kaveri, on the very verge of the

Western

Ghats, wherethey

form a sharp angle withthe Benga-nad range. Another stream, the

Kanake, starts close by,

and

after a short run joins the Kaveri at thefoot ofthehill, nearthevillage of Bhagamandala.

At

both places,

onthe topandat the footof the hill, there aretemplesof great repute

for sanctity

among

theHindus, which are yearly resorted toby

thou-sandsofpilgrimsfromthe adjoiningcountries.

The

Kaveriis, according

to Brahmanical legend, the holiestriver in India.

Even

the holy

god-dess

Ganga

resorts underground to the all-purifying floods of the

Kaveri oncea year in Tula masa, i. e., October

—

November, to

wash

away

the pollution contracted from the crowdsof sinners

who

have

bathed in her

own

waters.

The

courseof this fine river through Coorg isverytortuous, but

below

Bhagamandala

itscurrent,with the exception of afewlocalities

whereittraversesbeds ofgraniterock, isgenerallytranquil. Its banks which are highand steep,are usuallyformed of rich clay ormould,

and

covered with luxuriant tropical vegetation.

The

bed over which it

RIVERS. 9

but thelatterfeatureis predominant. Inthe dry seasonit is fordable

atalmostall points,butthere isalways a good

body

ofwater,

consider-ing the vicinity of its source.

During

the

monsoon

itrisesto an impetuous torrent,

whose

mud-stained waters roll with thunderingvelocity throughits wide channel,

floating

down

shrubs

and

treesfrom itscrumbling banks,

and

overflowing

for

a

few daysthe adjoining country. During these freshes the river

rises toa _{height of 20 to 30 feet near Fraserpet, where}it isspanned

by a_{magnificent stone bridge}

₅₁₆

feet in length.

Descending throughthe greatvalleybetween Mercara

and

Nalknad,

the Kaveri

makes

a sudden turnnear Siddhapurtothe north,

and

flows

for

25

miles alongtheeastern frontier, being swollen in its course by

several largetributaries.

From

theTadianda-molitreceives the

Kakabe

river, whichseparatesfor

some

distance Padinalknad

from

Kadyetnad.

In

Beppunad

it is joined by the

Kadanur

river ;

and

in Yedenalknad,

by

theKumnia-hole.

The

Muttaremutta

collectsthe waters of the southern slope of

the

Mercara

ridge,

and

the Chikka-hole thoseof the valleyof

Horur-nurokkal-nad.

The

Hdringi or Suvarnavati, with the Kakke-hole

from

Somawarpet,

the Choran-hole

from

Santhalli, the

Mattapur

and

Hatte-hole fromKote-betta, drainthe

whole

northern plateau of Coorg,

and add

an

immense

bulk ofwaterto the Kaveri.

Almost

everyoneofthese

moun-tain streams forms, initsdescent over rockybeds, cascades of great beauty.

One

near Mercara, the Jessyfall (so called in honourof a daughter of the first chaplain of Mercara), is

much

admired,

and

frequently visitedby picnic parties.

Some

of the coffee estatesalong theSampajivalley are notablefor pleasing cataracts.

The

rivers ofCoorg whichfall intothe Kaveri

beyond

theProvince

are the

Hemavati

and

the Lakshmantirtha.

The

former rises near the

Bhadra

river, south of

Wastara

inthe

Kadur

Districtof Mysore,

and

after passing Manjarabad, it forms for a fewmiles the northern

boundaryof Coorg,

and

joins the Kaveri in the Yedatore taluk of

Mysore

near the village of Tippur.

The

Lakshmantirtha, with its

tributaries the

Kakotta

and

Kere-hole, drains nearly the whole of

Kiggatnad. It rises inthe

Muni-kadu

forest, on the plateau of Davas* bettaintheBrahmagiris,

and

inits descent overan almost perpendicular

mountain

wallforms a celebrated cataract, which by Brahmanical

priest-crafthas been investedwith sin-cleansing virtue,

and

is consequently

10 PHYSICAL FEATURES.

visited at the Irpu jatreby thousands of superstitious devotees.

The

banksof thisriver, like those of the Raven, areof clay ormould, steep,

with sandybottom,

and

shadedby denseforestor

bamboo

clumps. Lakes, Tanks, Wells.—

Throughout

Coorg thereis not a lake or

tankof anysize worth mentioning. In Kiggatnad only there area few

natural reservoirs, called kolli, enclosed by a belt of small trees,

and

containing water all the year round.

A

tank 3 miles north of

Som-warpetis notable forits picturesque rock scenery and thelegend con-nected with it, which does nothowever accord with theinscription

writ-ten

upon

a stone on the western outletof the tank.

The

latterruns

thus: "

The

king

Andani

ordered this tank to bebuilton Tuesday,

the tenthdayof the

month

Phalguna, in the year Parthiva. This

was

written by

Venkadasya

MalliaBomarsia,inthetime ofBasawalinga

Peva

Raja Vodeyar.''

The

legendisshortly this: "

A

merchant

named

Malla

Shetti of Yelusavirashime, vowedto buildthistank.

But

when

it

was

finishedtherewas no waterforthcoming.

Animal

sacrificesweresuggested

by thetankdiggers,

and

offered, butin vain. In thisdistressthegoddess

Ganga

appeared and

demanded

the little fingeroftheShetti. Unwilling

to

make

this sacrifice,heofferedinsteadthelifeofAkkoni, his

daughter-in-law, whose husband

was

away

on a journey. Akkoni agreed, took

an affectionate leave of herchildandparents,

who

were ignorant of her

intentions, and amidst great solemnitiesshe steppedinto the tank,

when

Ganga

made

her appearance in rushing water. Akkoni's parents,

now

hearing of theimpendingsacrifice, hastenedtorescuetheirdaughter,

but she refused toleave the tank, uttered a curse upon her father and

mother-in-law,

and

sank in the rising water. She then appeared

ina

dream

to her husband,

who

speedily returnedhome, and, on

hear-ing

what had

happened, killed his parents, andwith his child in his

arms

rushedtothetank,

and

indespairthrewhimselfintoit,

when

both weregraciously receivedby Ganga."

Besides the small publictanks, there are only private wells, that

everywhereyield, if

dug

deep enough, sweet

and

clear water ; but it

appears thatthe natives ofCoorg do notbestow enough attention on

the greatblessingofwholesomewater, andare often satisfied with the

muddy

contents of a hole carelesslydug bythesideoftheir paddy-fields,

though fromtheir

own

experience they assertthat

most

of theirdiseases areowing tothe badquality of their drinking water.

METEOBOLOGT. 11

Meteorology.

Though

Coorg is but a smallcountry, yet its high

mountain

ridges

and narrow

valleys, itswood-cladhillslopes

and

open

champaign

tracts,

greatly influence theatmospheric conditions ofthe locality. Stillthe

dryeastern or

Kanave

district

may

in the

mean

present as constant a

climate asthe moisthilly tractalongthe Ghats or the

Mercara

plateau.

We

have

to distinguish the hot, the raiDy

and

the cold season, though throughout the year the atmosphere isnot without humidity, whichis

precipitated either indensemists orinshowers of rain.

From

theend

of

December

to the

end

of March, rain indeed is scarce, butin the

mornings and evenings the valleys are seldom freefrom fogs or dews.

Duringthese

months

thedry east wiadprevails, which has long ceased to carryremainsofnorth-east

monsoon

cloudstothe

Western

Ghats.

Towards

the

end

of

March

the clouds begin to collecttowards

thesouth-west, and the cooling sea breeze blows with

more

regularity

over the Ghats. In April

and

May

the sun increasesinpower,

banks

ofmassive clouds extend along the western horizon,

and

occasional

thunderstorms

and

showers, indicating theapproach of the monsoon,

cool the atmosphere, whichis

warm

and moist.

The

thunderstorms duringthis season areeven

more

impressivethan in the lowcountry.

Mountains of clouds, indouble

and

treble ranges, float against each

otherwith the orderofarmies.

The

soundas of

heavy

cannonisheard

from

adistance ;solitary discharges of the electric fluid shoot through

the gloom.

Now

wholebatteries

seem

tobe inaction ; peals ofthunder

are heard at brief intervals,

and

theeyeshuts involuntarily against the

dazzling brilliancy of the lightning.

Then

the conflict seems to

sub-side, the roar ofthunder isheard at greater intervals, the flashes of lightning losetheir intense

and

fearful glare,

and

the rainpours

down

intorrents.

Towards

the

end

of

May

theclouds take

up

a firm position in the

western sky

and

growinmassiveness. In June,the rapport

between

the

western seaand the

atmosphere

ofCoorg isfully established.

Rain

prevails, descending attimes softly, but

more

frequently with great

violence

and

heavy gusts of wind. In July the

monsoon

reachesits

greatest vehemence.

The

clouds

seem

tobeinexhaustible, the blasts of the

wind

irresistible.

As

much

as 74 inches of rainhave been

re-gistered withinthis

month, and

for severaldays insuccession5, 6

and

7 inches within

24

hours!

The

sun is often not seen for weeks,

and

life

12 PHYSICAL FEATURES.

inthe Province would beasdull and gloomy as the clouds overhead, did not the inhabitants adapt themselves tocircumstances andlearn to

make

lightof the incessant downpour.

But

it ispardonableifODe is

sometimes tempted to envy those favoured few

who

bask all the while

inthe mild sunshine ofpleasant Fraserpet, the

monsoon-head

quarters ofthe Superintendent, 20 milestothe eastofMercara,wherethe roaring

Kaveririver, and anoccasionalshower from thefringe of the

monsoon

clouds, are the only signs of the rainy season in the highlands.

InAugusttherainisconsiderablyless,

and

a fewdays'break, with

an

open sunny sky, atone forall the past discomforts.

The

ancient Coorg

hills send thefloods,controlledbysteepriverbanks,tothe east

and

west,

and

standforth inrenewedbeauty. InSeptemberthesun breaks through

the dense atmosphere. In Octoberthe north-east wind, strong

and

cold,

gainstheascendancy

and

clearsthe sky, in

November,

however, itoften

carries heavyclouds fromthe eastern coast,which discharge themselves

chieflyupontheeastandsouth-eastof Coorg.

The

greaterpartof

Decem-berisfoggy, but towardsthe endofthe

month

theweather becomes

de-lightfully clear

and

fresh, thethermometerfalling toa

minimum

of 50.°

The

meteorological observations in Coorg are almost confined to

Mercara, theprincipal station.

From

Mr. Eichter's observationsfor 1

3

years, the following facts

may

bededuced forthe meteorological

condi-tion ofMercara, nearthe Central School.

The

mercurial barometer shews

its

maximum

height during the hotweather months,

when

itreaches 26° 60',andits

minimum

during themonsoon,

when

ithas fallen to 26° 15'.

The

thermometerindicates a moderatetemperature,owingnottothe

lati-tude, butonlytothe elevation of the country.

During

thecoldmonths,

from

October toJanuaryinclusive, the dailyaverage variation ranges

over24° Fahrenheit betweenthe extremes, givingadaily

mean

cf65°;

during the hotweather months, Februaryto

May

inclusive,thedaily

mean

temperatureis70", deduced fromtheaverage extremesof 57°

and

82° which

shew

adaily variation of25° ; duringthemonsoon, from Juneto

September, the temperature is

_most

equable, moving between the

extremesof 60°

and

75° whichleave only adailyvariation of15°

and

a

daily

mean

temperature of 65°for these months.

The

prevailing winds are : west wind just beforeandduring the

monsoon

; north-east wind directly after the

monsoon

;

and

east to

south-eastwindduring the remainingseason.

RAINFALL. 13

"Report

on the ravagesof the Borer", varies between

48 and

87, the

minimum

occurringin

December and

the

maximum

at theendof

Sep-tember ; very gradually

and

steadily rising 1 cents from Januaryuntil

May,

when

with a

bound

it increases 1 cents in

May,

5 centsin

June, 5 cents in July,

and

aftera decrease of 5 cents inAugust, it

reachesthe

maximum

of87 centsin September, falls 10cents in

Octo-ber, 10 in

November and

22in

December,

when

it attains its

minimum.

The

mean

annual rainfall forthe 13 years

from 1863

to 1875

amounts

to 123-21 inches,of whichatan average 8-97 inchesfellduring

the hotseason, 103-75inches during themonsoon, and 10-49 inches during the cold season. According to the scientific theory of the south-west

monsoon,

therainfall in Coorg would

seem

to be entirely dependent on

the geographicalposition

and

geologicalconfiguration ofthecountry,but

practical experienceatteststhe fact,whichis also corroborated

by

the pluvimetrical table, that the rainfall

was

for

some

years,

from

1866

to 1871, steadily decreasing, andthe cause isattributed to the extensive denudation of forest-cladhills forcoffee cultivation, contem-poraneously with the natural decay ofall the

bamboos

in Coorg.

The

same amount

of vapours asinformeryears

may

have beencarried

from

the sea over theGhats, butthe localpowerof attracting the rainclouds

diminished with the disappearanceof the forests.

No

one

who

has

attentively

watched

the sailingofclouds over partially

wooded

hill-tops

can have failedto observetheir lingering, hoveringover, and descent

upon

the forests, whereas over thebare hills the clouds sweep pastwith

unimpeded

velocity.

The

rains wereneither as heavy, regular, or

con-tinuous as they used to be,

and

since there

was

lessrain sinking into

theground

and

the retaining qualities of the soil

had

been reduced

by

the extensive clearing of forests

and

jungles, there werefewer springs

and

shallowerstreams

and

the country in general

became

drier.

Were

itnot for the incidental droughts, injurious to coffee planting,

and

the increasing difficultyof ricecultivation in

some

parts ofthe country, the change

might

have beenhailed as a

most

welcome improvement

in theCoorg climate, whichfor the sakeof

human

health might be still

less loadedwithmoisture. Since1871, however, therainfallhasreached

theformer high amount, which

may

perhaps be attributed tothe

re-covering ofthe formerly

denuded

hill sides by the growing

up

of the

coffee trees ; but onthe other

hand

the year

1875 was

the dryeston

14

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

On

the wholetheinfluence oftheCoorgclimate, with its average

temperature of66° 6', is salubrious.

The

nights arecoolthroughoutthe

year,

and

Europeansare able totake exerciseintheopenairatallhours.

European

children in particularenjoy excellent health, and their fat

rosy cheeksform a striking contrast to the thin pale faces of those

inthelowcountry.

The

rarined,often cold

and damp,

air ofMercara, with the usually

prevailing highwinds, necessarily does not agreewith asthmatic

and

bronchial affections, chronic disorders ofthe liver

and

dysenteric

com-plaints; butFraserpet, whichis 1,000 feetlowerthan Mercara, affords

a

salutary change during the rainy season.

The

native troops, especially

new

arrivalsfrom the low country,

suffer

much

fromthecold

and

damp,

and

are, duringtheirfirst year of

acclimatization, subjecttofever

and

bowelcomplaints, but intime even

they enjoy the bracing climate ofMercara.

The

climateofthevalleys, particularly daring the hot

months

pre-ceding themonsoon, when, asthe natives say, the old

and

new

waters

aremixed,is farfrombeing healthy. Fevers, agues

and

bowel

com-plaints arethen very frequent

and

protracted. For the restoftheyear,

the natives ofthe country pronounce the climate to be excellent,

espe-cially after the monsoon. Besides the dreaded Coorg fever, which ap-pearsin its worst form, especially to Europeans, inthe. vicinity of

Hattur insouth-eastCoorg,

and

aboutSampaji on the westernboundary,

small-pox haslaid a fearfulhold uponthenatives, thoughvaccinationis

much

in vogue. Cholera is almost

unknown

in Coorg.

_A

peculiar

ulcer-diseaseonthelimbs haslatterlybeenrather prevalent about

Viraj-pet,which isascribedtoimpoverishedblood for

want

of nourishing

ani-mal

diet.

The

account whichnativesof

Mysore

or from the

Western

Coast

giveofthe climate ofCoorgisnot favourable.

They

haveexperienceon

their side. Ofthe large

number

of people

whom

Tippu sent from

Mysore toreplacethe ancient inhabitants, or

who

during the various

wars

were

carried off bythe Coorg Rajas from the neighbouring

countriesto cultivate their lands, but few survived the change. In our

days the thousandsof

Mysore

coolies

who

annually emigrate to

work

onthe

Government

roads oroneoffee estates stand the climate

much

better, carebeingbestowed

upon

them,

and

a periodical returntotheir

FLORA.

InCoorg, extensive forests clothe every

mountain

range almost

up

tothe summit,

and

bamboo

jungles cover the

more

level easterndistricts,

interspersed withsuchtreesas are peculiar totheselocalities.

The

flora

of thecountry is almostidentical withthat of therestofthe mountain

regions of Southern India*

Looking

upon

Coorg with the eye of the forester ratherthan that of the general botanist, the

most

superficial survey willnot fail to

dis-cover invaluable treasuresoftimbertrees

and

their produce, scattered

allover the Province. Small as the country is, there are nevertheless

distinct tracts withtrees peculiar to them.

The

two prominentzones are

by theCoorgs called

Male-Mdu

or mountain-forests, and

Kanive-Mdu

or

forests onthe lower hillranges

and

passes. Botanically they

may

per-haps

be determined asevergreen

and

deciduous forests, the former

clothing the Ghats, thelatter the easternhill-tracts.

Male

Mdu.

—

All alongthe slopes of theGhats, the poon spar

(calo-phyllumangustifolium) rulesaskingoftheforest.

When

fullgrown, itis often

upwards

of 100 feet in height; its

wood

is clean,tough

and

elastic,

and

there is perhaps no other treo so well suited inevery respect foe supplyingships' spars andmasts.

By

its side

may

be seen the black

dammer

tree or

dupa-mara

(canariumstriatum), which attains a great height,

and

may

be recognized at a distance

by

the peculiar red colour

of its foliage.

The

resin obtainedfrom this tree has a brilliantblack

lustre

when

adheringto the ash-coloured bark, but

when

held

up

to

the light it is of arichbrownish-yellowtint.

Large

lumps

of it are

found by digging

around

the roots of thetree.

Another

resin-producing tree is the white

dammer

tree (vaferia

indica).

When

an

incision is

made

into thebark of this tree,

and

fire

appliedtoit, thecharred trunkyields ao increased quantity ofthe fluid

resin.

The

calqphylluminopliyllum or Alexandrianlaurel alsosupplies a

* _ThefirstcollectionofCoorgplantsappearstohavebeenmadebyCaptains Munroeand Gough,

whoprobablyplaced theircollections atthedisposalofthefamousbotanist Dr. Wight. Mr. Metz,a

GermanMissionary ontheNilagiris,also collectedagoodmany plants about Mercara, which were

afterwardsdistributed inGermanyby Hohenacker aui?namedbyMiguel. InMajor Heber Drury's book on Useful Plants, andDr. Bidie'sTimber Trees ofIndia muchinformationisgiven aboutthe

16 FLORA.

fragrant resin,

and

from theseedsis extracted bypressure the Pinnay

oilofcommerce.

The

beautifulorder guttiferais also frequently represented by a

leasttwo species.

The

garcinia pictoria yieldsa very superior kindof

gamboge,

and

the other species an inferiorsort.

The gamboge

is

obtain-ed fromthe fruitofthe treebypressure and maceration.

A

very

com-mon

tree of thedense forestis tb.3 wild

cinnamon (cinnamomum

iners),

thebark ofthe branches of whichissupposedtoformpart of thecassia

bark of

commerce

The

following trees arenotedfor the excellence of theirtimber or

other useful qualities:

The

sampige (Michelia champaca) with its

beautiful and sweet scented flowers, the perfection of beauty in the

poeticalfancyofthe Coorg bard ; theebony (diospyros ebenaster ; Can.

kari-mara) ; the wood-oil tree {dipierocarpus Icevis), thekanagala tree

(dilleniapentagijna) ;the jack tree (artocarpus integrifolius; Can.

hdla-sina-mara); the iron-woodtree (mesuaferrea),with large white fragrant

flowersaudveryhard

wood

;the Indian

mahogany

or white cedar(cedrela

toona ; Can. bdlandiniara) ; the red cedar or Chittagong

wood

{chick-rassiaIzbularis), thetimber ofbothtreesis littleinferior to

mahogany

;

the wild

nutmeg

(myristica); the wild cashew-nut (anacardium

occiden-tals ; Can. geru-mara);the Indian guttatree (isonandm acuminata), a

largetree withbeautiful foliage

and

oil-yielding nuts ;the bastard sago

{caryotawrens\Can. baini-mara)

from

whichan agreeable toddy is drawn,

while from the pith, sago

may

be prepared; the hog-plum tree(spondias mangifera ; Can. ambaUe-mara);the wild clove tree (eugenia).

A

most remarkable andtruly majestic forest tree isthe lepurandra

saccidora, whichdeservesto beclassed with

Thomson's

Loftytrees, toancient songunknown, Thenoble sons of potent heatandfloods

Prone-rushingfromthe clouds.

It flowers in October, in very peculiar catkins somethinglike a

com-mon

mulberry.

The

fruit is in size

and

shape like a small fig, covered witha beautiful purple-coloured down.

The

Coorgs

manufac-turevery curious sacks fromthe bark.

A

branch is cut corresponding

tothe length and diameterof the sack wanted. Itis soaked a little,

and then beaten with clubs until the liber separates from the wood.

This done, the sackformedof the barkis turnedinside out and pulled

down

close to the extremity, where the

wood

is cutoff, leavinga thin

piece toformthebottomofthe sack. Thesesacks were formerly

much

MALE

EADU. 17

Very

differentin size, butof fargreater importance than the sack

tree, isthe poison-nuttree, (strychnos

mix

vomica) which

may

be found

nearit.

The

_wood

ofthis tree is hard

and

durable, itsleaves oval

and

glossy ; the small greenishwhite flowers appearinFebruary; the fruit

is ofthe siza of

an

orange,

and

inits white harmless pulp are

embedded

many

round

flat seeds, from which tha powerful poison strychnine is

obtained.

On

open sunny woodsides grow lobelia nicotiamfolia, astout

annual plant, with showywhite flowers in terminal racemes;

and

the

brambles—

Eubus

lasiocarpus or country raspberry, B. rugosus, a scand-ent prickly shrub,

and B.

wdllkhiana, which yields adelicious fruit.

The

conocephalus nivens appears herein great abundance,

and

proves a troublesome

weed

on

some

coffeeplantations. Its

stem

yields a

beauti-ful fibre,

much

resembling that of the

Rheea

or China grass plant.

The

forests inthe

Ghat

region are sodense

and

tangledwith thorny

underwood and

creepers, thatthey can be penetrated only

by

beaten

paths,

and

undertheguidance ofonefamiliarwiththeir formidable

maz-es.

The

many

densely shaded

mountain

rills andtorrents are generally lined with a great variety of ferns, prominent

amongst

which is the

stately tree fern.

In

other places delicate reeds (wotie) stud the

more

humid

banks

of streams. Stout ratans,with terrible spines

and

slen-der flagelli, lashing the air tokeep as it

were

intruders at a distance,

climbinalldirections

and surmount

withtheir feathery leavesthe

high-est trees.

Favoured

by the constantly moist atmosphere, the stems of

many

ofthe treesare speckled withlichens, or coveredwithrare orchids,

mosses,

and

other parasites, especially the mandaliparasite, with its

largeglossy leavesirregularly cuton onehalf of the limb. Festoonsof

wild pepper

and

gigantic creepers, whichagain support the

more

slender

herbaceous vines of convolvulus, (lumbergia, ipomoea,

&c,

stretch

from

tree to treein the

most

fantastic interlacings, and gorgeouslydecorate

the

grand

timbertreesverdant with their foliage

and

many-hued

flowers.

The

soil, almost everywhere covered with a

humid

rich stratum

of vegetable mould, highly favours the growthof moisture-loving plants,

such as the Indian arrowroot (curcuma angustifolia), the long-rooted

turmeric (curcuma longa), the wild ginger (gingiber cassumunar),

and

especially the highly valued

cardamom.

Wherever

the hills are

denuded

offorest, they are clothed with

a dense coarse grass,

which

at times greatlyimpedes their ascent.

As

the western forestsare left

and

the eastern districts approached, 3*

18 FLORA.

many

of thetreesjust enumeratedare still

met

with, but addedthereto are others characteristic of a drier climate. Oil entering into the

more

open country, there arefound

upon

the grassy glades (bane)

smaller trees and shrubs, disposed with an artless grace that the landscape gardenerin vain seeks toimitate.

Here

spring

and summer,

in sweet embrace, hold perpetual sway, and the veryair, socool

and

fresh, seems

imbued

with life

and

health.

The

aromatic jasmine, with its pure white flowers, the Coorgrose,

in itsrustic simplicity, the gloriosa superba, withitsflaming corolla,

the melastoma malabaricwn with its strange looking ribbed leaves

and

splendid

mauve

coloured flowers, the Coorg lilac {caUicarpa

waRicUana) with itssmall red

cymes

of flowers, and the adisia

hu-milis, with translucent rose-coloured flowers that look asifthey

had

beencut out of arare cornelian ;theseand

many

other floweringshrubs

and

herbs greet the eyehere.

As we

approachthe Coorghouses,

we

come

upon

groves of orange,

lime, guava (psidium pyriferum), rose apple (jambosa vulgaris),

pomegranate,

and

clumpsof plantain trees, all of which thrive

re-markablywell.

The

bastard sagois

much

esteemedforits toddy,

and

the areca

palm

occasionally keeps it

company,

and their foliage,

blendedwith the dense crown of the stately

mango

orjack tree, forms

a beautiful back ground tothelarge paddy-flats below.

Kanive liddu.

—

We

enter

now

uponthe eastern or

bamboo

districtof Coorg, calledKanave-kadu.

The

character ofthisdistrict isindicatedby

the prevalenceoflarge clumpsof bamboo, interspersed with blackwood,

matti,hony, teak, sandalandother trees.

Whoever was

fortunate enough

to seea Coorg

bamboo

jungle

some

years ago

when

in its fullvigour

ofgrowth, cannot have failedtobestruck with the elegance

and

beauty

of itsgeneral appearance. Captain Basil Hall,

who

in

1813

entered

Coorg from Mysore by

way

of Siddhapur

and

Virajpet, thus vividly

describes his first impression of a pure

bamboo

jungle. "It

seemed

asif I weretravelling

among

the clustered columnsof

some

enormous

and

enchanted Gothic cathedral

The

ground extended on

all sides as

smooth

and

flat

and

clear of

underwood

asif thewhole

had

been paved with grave-stones.

From

this level surface rose

on

every hand,

and

as far as the eye could penetrateinto the forest,

immense

symmetrical clusters of

bamboo,

varying in diameter at

measure-KANIVE

KADU. 19

ment.

For

about 8or 10 feet

from

the

ground

each of these clus-ters orcolumns preserved a form nearlycylindrical, after which they began gradually to swell outwards, each

bamboo

assuming for itselfa

graceful curve

and

rising to the height

some

of 60,

some

of

80

and

some

evenof

100

feet in theair, the extreme endbeing at times

hori-zontal or even drooping gently over, like the tips of the feathers in

the Prince of Wales' plume. These gorgeous clusters stood at a

distance of 15 or 20 yards

from

one another,

and

being totally free

from the interruption of brushwood, could be distinguished ata great distance

—

more

than a mile certainly, in everydirection

—

forming,

under

the influence of au active imagination,naves

and

transepts, aisles

and

choirs, suchas none but a Gothic architect everdared to conceive.

..."

A

view so grand

would

now, however, be sought for in vain,

the wholeofthe Coorg

bamboo

junglesbeingin astate ofdecay after

the periodical seedingduring thelastfewyears. Thisisa remarkable

phenomenon,

assertedbythe natives to takeplace once every 50or

60

years, though not everywhere at the

same

time. Inthe north-east of Coorg the general seeding took place in I860,

and

inthe

south-west in

1866 and

'67, so that there

was

hardlya green

bamboo

left

in these jungles, but on the western slopes of the Ghats the

bamboos

are still alive

and

invigoroushealth.

The

Coorgs have thefollowing Canarese proverb :

—

Arvattu varnshakke ondukatle,

Yeppattu varushakke onda yette.

which

may

betranslated as

meaning

:

—

Oncein60years thebambooswilldecay,

Oncein70yearsafaminemayholdsway.

Lieutenant

Connor

in his Goorg Survey statesit asacuriousfact,

that in

1817

inthe whole of the district of

Wynad

there

was

scarcely

a

bamboo

clump

tobe seenthat

was

not dead, dying orinblossom.

Clumps

ofallages, growing contiguousto orfarapart

from

eachother

were

inthe

same

condition.

The same

thing

happened

againthere, as

well as in Coorg,during thelast few years,

which

occurrence would provecouclusively, that the

bamboos

,growing from seed

and

multiplying

theirreeds

from

the roots like the grasses, live fora period of_{about 50}

years,

when

thewhole clump,with old

and young

reeds,producesflowers,

and

seeds

and

dies off the

same

year.

From

the seed a

new

progeny

springs up,

which

grows veryfast, butnot, ashas been supposed, to its

20

FLORA.

fromthe

main clump

afterit hasnearlyreached maturity, which requires

a

growthof12 years. Theseshoots, being

armed

at theirextremity with

a sharp smoothhornlike cone, andwithout any lateral branches, force

their

way

through theintricate

mass

ofthe parent reeds

and

contribute

to the density, stability

and

stateliness of the whole clump, which

may

contain

from 50

to

200

reeds.

The

several reeds are

from

5 to 8

inches indiameter, jointedat every

12

or 15inches,

and

hollow between

the joints, where thorny tripartitebranches are alternately attached, ofwhich the middleones are strongest

and

make, good walkingsticks.

The

branches are repeatedly subdivided, andpresent with their delicate

light-greenfoliage of linearlanceolateleaves, a

most

graceful feathery appearance.

When

inblossom the

bamboo

is leafless,

and

the extremi-tiesarecovered with flowers in large

compound

panicles.

The

seedis

in size and appearance likeoats or small paddy. Itis eaten

by

the

poorerclasses, but consideredunwholesome.

The

birds

and

rats,

how-ever, revel inthefeast of plenty.

The

water into which

bamboo

seed

haslargely fallen is said tobe particularly noxious.

The

cutting of

bamboo

is adifficulttask that is rarely welldone

by

any other than those expert jungle people, theYeravas

and

Kurum-bas. For the purposeof cutting asingle reed, they

manage

to climb over the lower thorny

mass

to where the reedsbranchout freely, about 10 or 15 feet above the ground,

and

cut

them

at that height.

To

levelthe whole clump, the Yerava hastocut the stemof each

bamboo

below

and

above hishead, removing eachpiecefromthethorny embrace

of the rest ; he thus boldly advances into theclump,

and

the further

heprogresses in his

work

the greateris thedanger of the whole

clump

suddenly giving

way

at the slightest breeze

and

crushing the

un-fortunateintruder.

Thereare severalkinds of

bamboo,

the one describedis, however)

the

most common.

The

reeds of another kind are

much

smaller but

solid,

and

are

known

by the

name

of

male

bamboos.

One

ofthe handsomest treesin the eastern jungles is the

black-wood

(dalbergia htifolia) with a stem of 2 or 3 feet indiameter

and

60

to80 feet in height. It is one of the

most

valuabletimber trees in

India,

and

little, if at all, inferior to the South

American

rosewood, whichit closely resembles in

many

particulars.

Near

neighbours of theblackwoodare the matti andhony.

The

matti(ierminalia coriacea) is

KANIVE

KADU. 21

ash-coloured bark, cracked into small tablets like the scales of a

crocodile.

Under

the knottyswellings ofthe bark of the matti tree,

small quantities of water arehidden, which the lynx-eyed

Kuruba

readily discoversin his junglewanderings during the hot season,

and

from which providential fountainshe drawsa thirst-quenching draught.

The

hony

or kino tree (pterocarpus marsupium) yields

an

excellent

yellowish timber, fitforexposure;

and

avaluable brownish

gum,

the kino,

which oozes out

from

the

wounded

stem.

Chunam

broughtin contact with itturns brightyellow.

Teak

(tectoniagrandis) occupies a distinct girdle along the eastern

boundary

of Coorg, within the basin of the Lakshmantirtha,

and

in

Nanjarajpatna

and

Yelusavirshime taluks; but, with the exception of

the Amali-topuin Kiggatnad, the teak forests in Coorg are neither so

dense nor so statelyas those in

Burmah, where

treesof

enormous

size

andheight are found.

The

large

and

stronglynervedleaves,roughabove, whitish

and downy

beneath,

and

the

numerous

white flowers in terminal

bunches on the high

and

many

branchedtrunk,

mark

the beauty

and

strength of the tree. Both forhouse

and

ship building teak isthe best of woods, easily worked,

and

almostindestructible by climate or insects,

owing toits oilynature. Coorg teakis of

most

excellent quality, oily,

and

freeofheart-shake. Itis a

Government

monopoly,

and

sold from wood-yardsatthe rate of 12 annasper cubicfoot.

In close proximityto teak, andinan equally limited tractof dry

and

elevated slopes, grows the white sandal-wood (santalum album), scattered betweenother trees

and

on cultivated land. It is rather a

smalltree,ofa

more

or lesscrookedstem, but its spreading branches,

withtiny light-green leaves andyellow or purple coloured small flowers giveitan elegant appearance

and form

a

marked

feature in the land-scape.

The

wood

is close-grained

and

hard, especially the

duramen

or

heart-wood, which for these qualities

and

foritsagreeable scentishighly

prized,

and

employed for ornamental boxes, card cases, paper cutters,

fans, walking sticks,

&c,

which are

made

chiefly in

Nagar and North

Canara. Sandal-woodis also a

Government

monopoly,

and

is collected

at an expenseof oneeighth of the value of the wood. Trees

when

from

16 to

40

years old, according to the nature of the soil where grown,

are cut

down

; the best yield abillet of 5 inches square

and

4 or 5 feet

long.

The

wood

fetches at the public auctions periodicallyheld

by

22

FLORA.

of

550

poundsavoirdupois, andisgenerallyexported to

Bombay.

Natives

distinguish threekinds, accordingtocolour:

—

_{the red sandal (sri}ganda)

whichis the

most

highly scented; the yellow sandal (arasina ganda) ;

and

the white sandal (Uli ganda) which possesses but afaint

aroma

and

is least prized.

The

chipsareburnt as perfume, orreduced to

pow-der,which enters into the composition formarking the foreheads of

na-tives.

The

roots, containingthegreatest

amount

ofthe essentialoil, are

chiefly used for its production. Itisheavierthan water andyieldsan

excellent perfume.

The

sandal treeis propagatedfrom seed,

and

forms

suckers springingup fromtheroots.

A

statelythough not very valuable tree, all over these parts ofthe

country, is the wild mango, which towers with its lofty crown far

above its humbler neighbours. But the giant of these junglesisthe

ajini or wild jack (artocarpus hirsula), the timberof whichis

most

useful for house

and

ship building.

The

rosy-tinted smooth-barked

lentealo or nandi Qagerstroemia parviflora) is reputed for its excellent

timber.

A

splendid jungle tree,

when

inflowerin February

and

March, is

the red cotton tree (botribax malalaricwm). Its flowers are large

andofa deep redcolour,

and

the

many

seeded capsules contain asilky

cotton, whichisemployedfor stuffing pillowsandmattresses.

The

staple

is soshort as to render this so-called cotton commercially valueless.

The

wood

issoftand spongy andoflittlevalue. Another redcotton tree,

of smallersize andwitha pricklytrunk, isthe salmalia malabarica (Can.

mvEu

yelava).

The

dindul or conocarpus latifdivs is a fine timber

tree, and very frequentinthedeciduous jungles.

The

heart-

wood

is of

a chocolate colour

and

exceedingly durable.

The Kurubas

use it for

axe-handles.

When

burning, it emits anintense

and

sustained heat,

and

istherefore highly prized for lime kilns

and

distilleries.

The

Jiedde-mara

or nauclea cordifdlia yields a beautiful close-grained

wood

re-sembling box; but it cannot withstand exposure to damp. Its small

yellowflowers appearin

November

and December.

The

rottleria tinc-toria furnishes

an

orange dye

—

the Jcapilaranga.

The

soap-nut tree

(sapindus) which ishere rather

common,

produces asmall fruit thepulp

of which is saponaceous

and

usedby the natives for washing. For

marking

theircotton cloths the pure black acrid juiceof the shell of

the marking-nut is used; itis the fruitofatreeabout 50feet high,