Passing further southwards down the 2,000 feet plateau, CHAP. I. Rivers. The Kolab and Saveri. the next river of importance is the Kolab. This rises near Sinkaram hill on the 3,000 feet plateau, flows north-west in a very winding bed, drops rapidly down to the 2,000 feet plateau not far south of Jeypore, holds on the same course for another 20 or 30 miles and then suddenly doubles back and runs nearly south. For a time it forms the frontier between Jeypore and Bastar, and then it turns south into the former, through a gorge in the wild hills west of Ramagiri which are called the Tulsi Dangari range. As it issues from this, it falls about 40 feet into a large pool, 12 or 14 feet deep, into which, in days gone by, witches used to be thrown with a stone round their necks. Turning west again, and passing Salimi, the Kolab flows into Bastar, past Sunkam, and at last again divides this State from Jeypore, forming the western boundary of Malkanagiri taluk for many miles. In this last part of its course it is called the Saveri or Sabari, and is joined by the Poteru, which drains the centre of Malkanagiri taluk. At Motu,at the extreme south-western corner of that taluk it meets the Sileru referred to below, and the two pass out of Vizagapatam into Godavari and fall into the Godavari river 25 miles further down.
This stream and the Indravati, draining as they do a country which receives a heavy rainfall and is often covered with forest,are two of the most important of all the tributaries of the Godavari. They are perennial, and contribute almost the whole of the water which is used for second-crop cultivation in the delta of that river.
In 1856 Mr. Tuke went 132 miles up the Saveri from its confluence with the Godavari and his detailed account of it will be found in Lieutenant Haig's Report on the navigability of the Godavari (Madras, 1856). He pronounced it navigable during parts of the monsoon, by small boats and with difficulty, (or the first 25 miles, that is, to just below Motu. But he considered that above that point up to Sunkam (near which a huge barrier of rock 600 yards long with a drop of 50 or 60 feet causes a mighty rapid) the river was certainly not navigable by boats at any time of the year, being a maze of rocks, shoals, islands and strong currents. Even wood could only be floated down during certain short seasons and with great difficulty. From Sunkam to Salimi, however, the stream is quieter and timber could come down it.
The Macheru or Machkand ('fish river') The Sileru. rises in the Madgole hills on the 3,0O0 feet plateau and at first runs nearly north along a very meandering course, passing close under Yendrika