The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Coimbatore

COIMBATORE, or Coimbatoor. I. A district of British India, in the presidency of Madras, between lat. 10° 14′ and 12° 19′ N., and lon. 76° 36′ and 78° 16′ E.; area, 8,099 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 1,754,705. The district is enclosed on the north by the group of mountains bordering the table land of Mysore, and on the south by the Pulnai or Vurragiri mountains, and by the Animali range. The principal rivers are the Cavery, Bhowani, Noyel, and Ambrawutty. Although the climate is rendered insalubrious by several extensive morasses, it is better than that of the maritime parts of the Carnatic. Elephants abound. The vegetable productions consist mainly of dry grains. Among the productions are gram, various sorts of panic and of millet, turmeric, and tobacco. Teak and other valuable timber is produced, as well as castor oil and cotton; the last two articles form the principal exports. Experiments have been made with American cotton and Mauritius sugar, proving the fitness of the soil for their cultivation. The language spoken is the Tamil. II. The capital of the district, a well built town, occupying an elevated and dry situation on the banks of the Noyel, on the railway from Madras to Beypoor, 268 m. S. W. of Madras, and 600 m. S. S. E. of Bombay; pop. about 20,000. It contains a mosque built by Tippoo Sultan, who made this place one of his principal military stations. About 2 m. from the town, at Peruru, is a Hindoo temple, called Mail Chittumbra. It is roughly constructed, but covered with a profusion of Hindoo ornaments. Some time ago an ancient tumulus near Coimbatore was opened, and found to contain various weapons and other articles, such as were formerly in use among the Romans. The town was twice taken by the British: once in 1783, and again in 1790. A detachment of native infantry is stationed here. The European quarter is eastward and detached from the town.