COIMBATORE, a district of British India, in the Presidency of Fort St George or Madras, situated between 10’ 45' and 11° 48' N. lat. and between 76° 50'and 78° 10' E. long. It is bounded on the N. by Mysore, on the E. by the district of Salem, the Cauveri River marking the entire boundary line, on the S. by Madura and Travancore State, and on the W. by Cochin State, Malabar District, and the Nilgirí Hills. Coimbatore may be described as a flat, open country, hemmed in by mountains on the north, west, and south, but opening eastwards on to the great plain of the Carnatic; the average height of the plain above sea-level is about 900 feet. The principal mountains are the Anamálí Hills, in the south of the district, rising at places to a height of between 8000 and 9000 feet. In the west, the Palghát and Vallagirí Hills form a connecting link between the Anamálí range and the Nilgirís, with the exception of a remarkable gap known as the Palghát Pass. This gap, which completely intersects the Gháts, is about twenty miles wide. In the north is a range of primitive trap-hills known as the Cauveri (Kaverí) chain, extending eastwards from the Nilgirís, and rising in places to a height of 4000 feet. The principal rivers are the Cauveri, Bháwaní, Noy el, and Amráwatí. Numerous canals are cut from the rivers for the purpose of affording artificial irrigation, which has proved of immense benefit to the country. Well and tank water is also largely used for irrigation purposes. The total area of Coimbatore is 7432 square miles, of which 3877j square miles or 2,488,000 acres were returned as under cultivation in 1874-75, viz., 2,089,000 acres under food grains or corn crops, 80,000 acres oilseeds, 61,000 acres green and garden crops, 5000 acres orchards, and 253,000 ...