MRS COL. WALKER'S TOUR IN CEYLON. 229- 
breakfast, and depart from this disagreeable place as soon as 
we could. 
* From hence we were told we should find some difficulty 
and encounter five dangerous places on the river, which was 
so low, that even the boatmen entertained doubts of our 
reaching the village of Hinnidoon; however, patience and 
perseverance, with the exertions of our boat’s crew, (who really 
did not spare themselves,) conquered all obstacles, and we got 
to the end of our voyage at 4 P.M., having hardly discov- 
ered when we surmounted the five dangers we had been pre- 
pared for. These were some rocky rapids, however, which 
when the river is full and the current strong, may be rather 
perilous. } 
“This morning, just as we embarked, we observed a young 
alligator plunge into the river close to the boat; hitherto we 
have hardly seen any living animal, very few birds, very few 
insects, and no fish, though we were told they abound in the 
river. This alligator, the first and last we met with on our 
journey, and a white monkey, were all we remarked. The 
Amaryllis Zeylanica was common on the banks; anda species _ 
of Aponogeton, the roots of which the natives eat, is very abun- o 
dant in the bed of the river , where I saw several old women 
Up to their middles in the water employed in collecting it. 
In many places the banks were clothed to the water’s edge with 
a species of Bassia, and a tree remarkable for the deep and 
bright red colour of its young shoots. Our people called it a a 
kind of Zronwood, ( Mesua,) which it certainly resembles in this 
. Particular; but as we could neither procure flower nor fruit, - 
we had no means of satisfying ourselves on this subject. Arum ae 2 
à spirale was also frequent in the river. 
“The Genderah seems to flow through a tolerably vell om 
cultivated country, the land on each side being enclosed, and 
fences r running down to the river-bank. The scenery is pretty, 
and the fragile looking temporary bridges erected in many M 
_ places over its tributary streams, add much to its picturesque — 
. beauty; some of them are very high, and. of considerable 
T consisting merely of the trunks of trees, and optet 
