Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/836

830 MADRAS boundary of the province, the maritime bor- der, which is bold and rocky but not high, is known as the Orissa coast. Ganjam and Vi- zagapatam are its leading ports. The moun- tains of Madras are the Eastern and Western Ghauts, parallel to the E. and W. seaboards respectively, and the ranges which traverse the peninsula and connect them S. of the table land of Mysore, including the Neilgherry hills. (See GHAUTS.) The great rivers of the province flow eastward. They comprise the Godavery, the Kistnah, the Pennar, the Cavery, and the Vygay, all of which flow into the bay of Ben- gal. There are no large rivers on the W. coast, though small streams are numerous. The tank system of irrigation prevails in Madras, and there are extensive irrigation works in the riv- er deltas, particularly in those of the Goda- very, Kistnah, Pennar, and Cavery, the water being diverted by means of dams thrown across the streams just above the heads of the deltas. There are 43,000 tanks in 14 districts, and in the whole province 3,300,000 acres of irrigated land. The climate of Madras, gener- ally esteemed the hottest in India, seems to vary according to elevation abova the sea level, rather than with latitude. Among the Neilgherry hills it resembles that of the tem- perate zone. The heat is greatest on the E. coast, being lessened in Malabar by the sea breezes and the nearness of the Western Ghauts. This range receives an enormous rainfall during the prevalence of the S. W. monsoon, which begins to blow in April. The N. E. monsoon sets in during October, and is accompanied by much less rain, which fact to some extent accounts for the excessive heat in the eastern districts ; the annual rain- fall there ranging from 45 in. at Vizagapa- tam and 50 in. at Madras, to 30 and 22 in. far- ther S., as against upward of 75 in. on the W. coast. Malabar is frequently visited by ter- rific thunder storms. The soil of that portion of the province adjacent to the bay of Bengal is light and sandy near the coast, but increases in richness and fertility as the surface rises inland toward the Ghauts and the interior plateau. N. of Vizagapatam the country is somewhat hilly ; between that district and the Kistnah a flat alluvial plain stretches back- ward to the mountains. Bellary, Kurnool, and Ouddapah, known as the ceded districts, are upon the table land between the Eastern and Western Ghauts, at an elevation of from 500 to 1,600 ft. above the sea, while further S. wide plains, traversed by rivers, slope sea- ward from the inland ranges. The rugged western coast rises more abruptly, and borders an elevated region of exuberant vegetation and magnificent forests. Ship timber, inclu- ding teak and peon, grows abundantly and of excellent quality in Travancore, Malabar, and Ganara, and forms one of the most valuable products of the province. The finest teak plantation in all India is in Malabar on the riv- er Bepur, where the annual rainfall is 150 in. ; it contains 1,800,000 trees. The Madras for- est department maintains 26 plantations for railway fuel, three or four for teak, and two for sandalwood, which is exported to China. The chief agricultural productions of Madras are rice, cotton (of which the largest quan- tity is raised in the Tinnevelli district), sugar, and coffee, which is the special product of the province. In 1872, 72,983 Ibs. of cinchona bark were obtained from the government plan- tations on the Neilgherry hills, where there are 2,639,285 plants. Small quantities of tea, indigo, and jute are raised. Other important crops are a small dark-colored grain called ragi, millet, maize, tobacco, oil seeds, spices, pulse, yams, and plantains. An intoxicating bever- age is made from the sap of the palmyra palm, and the cocoanut palm is raised both for its fruit and cordage. Iron is the most abundant mineral, and immense deposits of magnetic ore, from 50 to 100 ft. in thickness, occur in the Salem district. Coal of inferior quality is found on the banks of the Godavery. Large quantities of salt are produced by manufacto- ries under government control. The consump- tion of salt averages 12 Ibs. per annum for each inhabitant. The city of Madras is connected by railway with Bombay, Negapatam, Banga- lore, and Bellary. Up to April 1, 1873, 957f m. of railways had been opened for traffic in the province. An important line of water communication is afforded by the Malabar and Travancore back-waters, and the delta canals are much navigated by boats. The foreign trade is with Great Britain, France, New South Wales, America, Mauritius, Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, and ports on the Arabian sea and Persian gulf. The following table shows the quantity and value of the principal articles ex- ported from Madras in 1871-'2 : ARTICLES. Quantity. Value. Coffee 52 047 458 Ibs 1 278 7S9 Cotton 1S111 '643 Ibs. 1,684,942 Grains 2370247 cwts 827 017 Indigo. .. 44.598 cwts. 1,193,715 Jute 4771 cwts. 2,728 Seeds. 583 735 cwts. 438,461 Tea 36 758 Ibs 4883 The total value of the exports, inclusive of treasure, from Madras for the year ending March 31, 1872, was 7,297,324. The prin- cipal articles imported in 1871-'2, with their values, were as follows : cotton twist and yarn, 718,326; cotton piece goods, 1,084,- 594; machinery, 16,422; manufactured met- als, 83,873; raw metals, 100,638; railway materials and stores, 60,232 ; silk goods, 9,093 ; wines and liquors, 211,449. The total value of the imports, including treasure, for the year ending March 31, 1872, was 3,- 792,232. The chief exports to Great Britain, and the quantities and value thereof, for the entire year 1872, were as follows: cotton, 75,238,688 Ibs., 2,099,310; coffee, 27,979,280 Ibs., 888,108; indigo, 19,413 Ibs., 508,042;