Graham's Magazine, Vol. XLI, No. 4, October 1852Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XLI, No. 4, October 1852
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
interesting are the views obtained as the traveler is borne along in his
ascent. Often after passing through some dense jungle (the whole
hill-side being wooded, and infested with tigers and other _feræ
naturæ_,) he finds himself on the verge of some precipitous and dark
ravine, or catches a glimpse of the almost boundless jungle and plain
which stretches away beyond his ken, far, far below him. An active and
hardy race are the men that convey one up to the mountain brow; yet
their forms, thin and meagre, give no promise to the eye, of their
immense endurance. Patiently they toil on, the sweat oozing from every
pore, and mingling in streams with cocoa-nut oil adown their dark
half-naked bodies, as with an occasional “Hough! hough!!” when the
ascent is steeper than usual, they hump their shoulders and steadily
continue their painful task. The flavor of the creatures is nothing
sweet; and as I was blessed with a pair of sturdy legs, after the first
visit I always made use of them to attain the summit. When once past the
gate, as two projecting rocks which narrow the path near the top are
termed, a glorious sight, or rather succession of sights, meets the eye.
At about five thousand feet above the plain an irregular and hilly
table-land of some six miles in diameter occurs. By a table-land,
however, I do not mean to convey the idea of any level space, for there
is scarcely five hundred yards of continuous level to be found in the
whole tract, but rather a species of main top to the entire mass, from
whence many hills of various heights take their rise, the larger of
these forming the different peaks of the mountain as seen from the
plains below. Ravines and glens of varied description seam this top or
table-land in every direction; small streams flow through the rugged
fissures or grassy glades, and here and there cultivation is carried on
with tolerable success. One feels, on arriving at this elevation, a
greater freedom of breathing, a more bracing air, and altogether a
renewal of the elasticity of the frame, sadly shaken and out of repair
from the hot winds and fevered climate of the sultry plains beneath. But
one of the chief attractions is the beautiful lake of pure cool water,
which lies embosomed among these hills. It is about half a mile long, by
a third of that distance in breadth, and was formed many hundred years
ago, by damming up a marshy hollow with solid masonry and banks of earth
(called a Bund in that country.) The stream which runs through it
escapes, in its downward course, through a small ravine on the main side
of the mountain. It is a most lovely spot, surrounded by grassy hills,
gently swelling from the water’s edge, with here and there a mighty
black rock rearing its rugged head in stern and solemn majesty. The
hills are covered with fine large trees, or sometimes thickets of wood
and jungle, and the white houses of the different European residents, or
whiter tents of occasional visitors, give a pleasing and social effect
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