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Throughout Coorg there is not a lake or tank of any size worth mentioning. In Kiggatnad only there are a few natural reservoirs, called Kolli, enclosed by a belt of small trees and containing water all the year round. A tank 3 miles north of Somawarpet is notable for its picturesque rock scenery and the legend connected with it, which does not however accord with the inscription writ­ten upon a stone on the western outlet of the tank. The writing runs thus: ^aThe King Andany has ordered this tank to be built on Tuesday the tenth day of the month of Phal­guna in the year Parthiva. This was written by Venkadasya Mallia Bomarsia at the time of Basawalinga Deva Kaja Vodea."

The legend is shortly this: "A merchant Malla Shetty of Yelusavirashlme vowed to build this tank. When it was finished, there was no water forthcoming. Animal sacrifices were suggested by the tank diggers and offered, but in vain. In this distress the goddess Ganga appeared and demanded the little finger of the Shetti. Unwilling to make this sacri­fice, he offered the life of Akkony, his daughter-in-law instead, whose husband was away on a journey. Akkony agreed, took an affectionate leave of her child and parents, who were ignorant of her intentions, and amidst great solemnities she stepped into the tank, when Ganga made her appearance in rushing water. Akkony's parents, hearing of the impending sacrifice, hastened to rescue their daughter, but she refused to leave the tank, uttered a curse upon her father and mother-in-law and disappeared in the rising water. She then ap­peared in a dream to her husband, who speedily returned home, and, on hearing what had happened, killed his parents, and with his child in his arms rushed to the tank and in des­pair threw himself into it, when both were graciously received by Ganga."

Besides the small public tanks, there are only private wells, that yield, if dug deep enough, everywhere sweet and clear water; but it appears, that the natives of Coorg do not bestow enough attention on the great blessing of wholesome water, and are often satisfied with the muddy contents of a hole, carelessly dug by the side of their paddy-fields, though from their own experience they assert, that most of their di­seases are owing to the bad quality of their drinking water.