The excursion described in the following pages was planned by Dr Macpherson, Inspector-General of Hospitals, and myself, with a view to explore the Southern Range of the Anamalai (i.e. Elephant Hills), in the district of Coimbatore, which are sparingly laid down in the Great Trigonometrical Survey Map, while the peculiarities of their Fauna and Flora had not been recorded.

The project was approved by the Right Honourable Lord Harris, then Governor of the Madras Presidency, and the services of Major D. Hamilton were sanctioned by His Excellency Sir Patrick Grant, Commander-in-chief, to accompany us as artist, to delineate the characteristic features of the country.