The term of Ghaut signifies originally a pass through the mountains, or the place where boats land. But it has been applied to designate the mountain chains which run in a direction nearly north and south through southern India. These are divided into the Eastern and Western Ghauts. The eastern ridge commences in the south, to the north of the Cavery, in about latitude 20° north, and extends, with little interruption, nearly in a straight line, to the banks of the Kistnah, in latitude 16° north. The height of this ridge has never been accurately ascertained throughout its whole extent. It is estimated, however, to rise at its highest part, which is opposite Madras, to the height of 3000 feet; and Bangalore, which is within the chain, was found by barometric observation to be 2900 feet above the level of the sea.

Buchanan, who had an excellent opportunity of observing the strata of these mountains, where the rock was laid away to form the road, describes their component parts to be granite, consisting of white felspar and quartz, dark green mica, in a small proportion to the other ingredients. The rocks appear to be stratified; but the strata are broken and confused. In some places they are almost horizontal, and in others vertical, with all intermediate degrees of inclination. The country above the Ghauts, about Naiekan Eray, rises into swells like the hills in many parts of England, and is overlooked by high green peaks, which close the view to the eastward. The country is but poorly cultivated, and is far from populous.

Buchanan judged that not above one half of the country had been ploughed; and about a tenth part of the whole rises into hills too steep for the plough. The soil on the gently swelling ground is very poor, and covered with coppice, having a few large trees intermixed. The sparse land serves for pasture; and the bushes supply the natives with fuel. Reservoirs are constructed like those below the Ghauts; and the watered fields are productive of rice. The want of water, however, is the great drawback on agriculture throughout all the eastern parts of the upper Carnatic. The mountains produce iron ore, which washed down by the torrents, and, being found in the form of black sand, is smelted by the natives. Each Ghaut forge pays a certain tribute in iron, for permission to carry on the work. These mountains abound in rude and magnificent scenery, and there is a number of passes through them, the principal of which are those leading to Serignapatam and Poonah. Many of these roads have been formed with great labour across the mountains; but they are soon ploughed into inequalities by the mountain torrents, and are thus as rough as before. Among the lofty peaks of these mountains large tracts of barren land are to be found; the country is naked, and is not even clothed with forests. The hills next the Vellore road by Sautghur are covered with large stones, among which grow many small trees and shrubs, with occasionally a tamarind tree of great age and size. The pass here has been greatly improved, being widened and levelled since the conquest by the British; and is now practicable for artillery.

Western. This great chain of mountains runs along the peninsula of Hindustan, from Cape Comorin to the Tuptee or Surat river, at the distance of not more than sixty or seventy, and in some places not above forty miles from the western shore of the Indian peninsula, namely, the coasts of Malabar, Canara, &c.; and they are frequently visible from the sea, to which at one point they approach within six miles. By this peculiar configuration of the country all the great rivers of the peninsula of India run down the eastern slope of these mountains into the Bay of Bengal, there not being sufficient space for the collection of any great body of water on the western declivity, which is of greater elevation, and more abrupt in its ascent. The range is generally computed to rise to between 3000 and 4000 feet above the level of the sea. These mountains do not terminate in a point or promontory, but bend eastward in a wavy line parallel to the river, and are afterwards lost among the hills in the neighbourhood of Boorhanpoor. These hills extend about 800 miles in length, with the exception of a break in the ridge about sixteen miles wide, where the river Paniamy takes its course from the Coimbetore country to the sea; and here it is well known that ships which navigate the Malabar coast during the north-east monsoons commonly experience a stronger gale in the neighbourhood of Paniamy than elsewhere; a circumstance which Major Rennell ascribes to this opening in the Ghaut Mountains. The altitude of this mountain chain is sufficient to intercept the great body of the clouds which are alternately impelled across the continent of India by the south-west and north-east monsoons; and accordingly these winds occasion a rainy season on one side of the mountains only, so that while the periodical rains are deluging the country on one side, the weather is serene and dry on the other. But it is only a particular tract of country that is sheltered from rain by the ridge of the Ghauts; for the clouds do pass over, but at too great a height and too much attenuated to be condensed into rain. At a greater distance, however, they collect into masses, and occasion a rainy season in the countries farther to leeward. Thus, at Nagpoor, in the very centre of India, the seasons differ but little from their usual course in Bengal and on the western side of India. They have a rainy season occasioned by the south-west monsoon, though it is not so violent as in Bengal. At the mouth of the Godaverry, and in the neighbourhood, the south-west monsoon occasions a rainy season, when the Godaverry is swollen and overflows; and this country is about the same distance to leeward of the Ghauts as Nagpoor. Major Rennell suggests that the clouds which occasion the rainy season at the mouth of the Godaverry may come from Cape Comorin, though from the prevalence of west-

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1 Rennell, Memoir of a Map of Hindustan, p. 196. Ghent, a city, the capital of the province of East Flanders. It stands on the river Scheldt, where it receives the waters of the Lys, the Lieve, and the Mare, and is connected with several navigable canals, which form twenty-six islands, over which there are many bridges. It contains about 10,000 houses, and 30,000 inhabitants. It is a sumptuously built ancient city, with many public buildings, some venerable for their antiquity, and others for their architecture. It was before 1830 a place of most extensive manufactures, which had grown up in the preceding fifteen years with a degree of rapidity which has no parallel on the Continent. The commerce and the benevolent institutions were, up to the same period, in a most meritorious state, and yet improving. It is to be hoped that peace may restore the city to its former state of prosperity. Long. 3. 38. 30. E. Lat. 51. 3. 21. N.