SALEM, a town of Southern India, in lat.
11° 39' 10" N., and long. 78° 11' 47" E,, which gives its name to a revenue district of the Madras Presidency, extending between lat. 11 2 and 12° 4' N., and long. 77° 33' and 79° 6' E. The town is prettily situated on the Terumani mattar, 900 feet above sea-level, in a long valley, with the Shevaroy Hills towering above, six miles distant. The area of the district is 7483 square miles, and population 1,966,995. The district is hilly, and is largely cultivated by the Maleali race iu villages at heights of 2230 to 4150 fe,et above the sea. The chief ranges are the Shevaroys (highest point 5110), the Kalrayan (about 4000), the Melagiri (4580), the Kollimalai (4663), the Pacha rnalai (about 4000), the Yelagiri (4441), the Jevadi (3840), the Vatthalamalai (about 4000), the Erivani and Valasaimalai (about 3800), the Bodamalai (4019), the Thopur Hills, the Thalai malai. Dharmapuri is about 1500 feet, and Krish nagiri from 1500 to 2000 feet above sea-level.
The chief river is the Kaveri (Cauvery), from the left bank of which a large area in Tiruchengod and Namakal is irrigated. The Palar, Pennar,
and minor streams fertilize the district. The district contains three palaiyams or zamindaris,— Sulagiri, Bagalur, and Berikai, all in the Osur taluk. A large portion of the Shevaroys is clothed with middling-sized jungle. Sandal wood is found, and the Jevadi and Yelagiri Hills contain some valuable timber. Magnesite veins occur chiefly at the chalk hills (so miscalled) near the foot of the Shevaroys. Potstone is found in several places. Magnetic iron-ore occurs in practically inexhaustible quantities. Corundum and chrome iron-ore are also obtainable. The Pennar and some other rivers yield gold. Hindu pilgriins crowd to the sacred springe, on the Tirthamalai, to Hanumatirtham on the Pennar, to the pagoda at Osur, to the Adipadihettu at the falls of the Kaveri (Cauvery), and to the festivals at Dharmapuri, Mecheri, and other places. The chief shrines where the Malayalis worship are on the Shevaroys and the Chitterirnalai Hills near Harur.—Imp. Gaz.