gherries, terminate in rugged peaks; and on the south the Anamallies rise about 5,000 feet above the level of the sea, forming the 'northern extremity of the range of mountains that runs down to Cape Comorin. A few years ago this pass was filled with a dense jungle, or rather forest, of bamboos and other trees. It was greatly infested by both elephants and tigers, and, nearly up to the time of my passing through it, it was considered so dangerous for travellers, that an escort of sepoys was allowed to every European journeying between Coimbatore and Palghaut. The jungle was subsequently cleared for some distance on each side of the road, and ryots were encouraged to settle and cultivate the soil.

The shikâree's gun also was often heard among the elephants, for the destruction of which, I believe, Government offered rewards. I remember seeing in the collector's bungalow at Coimbatore a great number of elephants' tusks, trophies of jungle sport, the largest of which I could with the greatest difficulty lift from the ground. These were all due, I was told, to the enterprise of a single English gentleman, who had recently shot a goodly number of these giants of the forest with his own rifle. Thus the ryot and the shikâree together

rendered the pass less dangerous.

It was, however, but a very short time before I was there myself, and after the sepoy escort had been dis

continued, that an English gentleman and his wife narrowly escaped destruction. They were travelling in palanquins on a beautiful moonlight night, and were half-way through the pass, when the bearers shouted 'Âna! Âna!' that is, Elephant! Elephant!' Upon

which the panic-stricken men put down the palanquins and decamped with the utmost precipitation. The gentleman had the presence of mind to rush to his wife's palanquin, drag her out and hurry her off to a large forest tree, which was not far distant, and up which some of the cowardly bearers had already scrambled. They were fortunately able to climb up to a large bough, out of harm's way. Meantime, a solitary elephant, of gigantic dimensions, walked leisurely up to the lady's palanquin, examined it, turned it over with his tusks, tossed it up in the air, seemed exhilarated with the crash when it fell, played with it as one might imagine a Brobdignagian cat with a ball, lifting it about with his trunk, first by one pole and then the other, and finally stamping on it with his foot, and in apparent fury crushing it to atoms. The second palanquin had its turn, and shared the same fate. I need scarcely say that this game was witnessed by the travellers in breathless excitement from their perch in the tree. The elephant at length disappeared in the jungle, apparently unconscious of the near proximity of so many

The Palghaut Pass.

9

human beings; but our friends had to remain in their uncomfortable berth till morning dawned, and a caravan of country carts that passed afforded them the means of continuing their journey.

At Palghaut we dispensed with our palanquins and continued our journey to Trichoor in country carts. These carts, well known to old Indians, are of very rude construction, mounted on two large, clumsy wheels, and covered with a coarse kind of bamboo matting. When used as a conveyance, as they often are in the Mofussil,' a good quantity of rice-straw is spread on the bottom, on which the traveller places his mattress. The pace is usually very slow, but the bullocks are sure-footed and very enduring. It is, however, not an uncommon thing, especially on the very bad roads we often meet with in India, for these 'bandies,' as they are called, to upset. We were fortunate enough to reach the end of our journey without an accident of this kind; but, at one of the public bungalows at which we stayed, a gentleman arrived shortly after us, whose bandy-man had been less expert than ours; he had upset his load; and the gentleman, who was asleep at the time, narrowly escaped a severe injury from a box which had fallen on him. As it was, the only inconvenience which he suffered, beside the delay occasioned in mounting the cart again on its wheels, was that a bottle of cocoa-nut oil,

which he had to replenish his lantern, and which had been hung up in the roof of his bandy uncorked, had discharged its contents over his head; so that, when he appeared among us, he presented a peculiarly unctuous and uncomfortable appearance.

The country through which we passed was one expanse of wooded mountains, grassy hills, winding rivers, and fruitful valleys. On reaching Trichóor, we were reminded how much these hills and valleys, though lying in native territory, owe for the development of their resources to the British rule. Trichoor still has a witness to the rapacity of that Mysorean tiger Tippoo in the almost perfect remains of an earthwork that was thrown up by the country Nairs, or Malabar soldiers, on his approach. His soldiers spread devastation far and wide; and there is no doubt he would have been victorious to Cape Comorin, had not European energy aided in resisting him.

Trichoor is a large and populous town, and contains a bazaar of some size. In most of the houses in this bazaar was something or other displayed for sale rice, cocoa-nuts, copra (which is the fruit of the cocoanut dried ready for the oil to be expressed), cotton cloths, grass and bamboo mats, earthen pots, usually called chatties, lanterns, areca nuts, betel leaves, plantains, chillies, pumpkins, and vegetables and spices of various kinds common to the country. The majority, however, of the

houses in the towns of south-west India are detached, each standing in its own compound, which is generally well stocked with cocoa-nuts, Palmyras, mangoes, pepper, yams, and many esculent roots, so that such towns often cover a large tract of country. They are generally divided into a number of separate hamlets- -a hamlet of brahmans, a hamlet of Sudras or Nairs, a hamlet of Christians, a hamlet of carpenters, a hamlet of blacksmiths, and so forth, according to the chief divisions of

caste.

Trichoor is the largest town in the Cochin territory, and contains a large pagoda, dedicated to the worship of Shiva, which claims to be the oldest in that part of India. No doubt the Brahmins established themselves there early; for the place derives its name from the templegod, its proper name being Trishivaparoor. Near to the temple is a celebrated Hindu college. The rajah of Cochin also has a palace there, and the British resident a residency.

Among other objects, a Roman Catholic church, of some pretensions, arrests the eye on going through the bazaar. As we passed we observed a number of people collected about it; flags and banners of all kinds were fluttering in the breeze; and from the sound of shooting that was going on, you might have supposed that a detachment of riflemen were practising in the churchyard.