Page:McCosh, John - Advice to Officers in India (1856).djvu/287

 Fruit trees of all sorts, both tropical and temperate, grow well at Ooty, but the fruit is very indifferent, the rapid change of seasons, and the double spring ripening it before it is matured. Even European vegetables, though they grow well, are indifferent in flavor, with the exception of pulse and potatoes, which latter are very good, and are imported in large quantities to the plains. European flowers, however, thrive very well, and the parterres are rich in variety and luxuriant. Coffee is found to grow admirably at the height of 5,000 feet, and there are many extensive in these hills; and I have no doubt that tea also would be a successful speculation, for this plant thrives very well at Ooty.

Amongst the inhabitants of these mountains there is a very remarkable race called Todars, which is worthy of a few remarks. They are a very primitive, and a very fine people,entirely pastoral in their habits, and move about with their large herds of buffaloes from one locality and elevation to another, according to the season, living on the produce of their herds, and cultivating nothing. They do not intermarry with other tribes, and consequently their type is well preserved, but polyandryism is their system of matrimony; one woman being the joint wife of the sons of the same family, which custom is so unfavourable to progenitiveness, that their