252 MRS COL. WALKER’S TOUR JN CEYLON. 
Spent the day as yesterday, in drawing and walking, the 
people having brought in a good many plants, the examining 
which afforded Col. W. amusement; he also took a ride over 
the plain, which can be traversed in all directions, without. 
fear of being swamped, a common occurrence at Newera 
Ellia. j 
* 9th. We spent another day at Maha Ellia, much in the 
same manner with the two former, and on the 10th, by the 
kind assistance of Captain R., the agent in Owva, we were 
enabled to proceed towards Newera Ellia; the distance must 
be full twenty miles from the time we took to accomplish the - 
journey, although we had been told it was but fifteen; the 
road we found good, and the scenery rather pretty, until we 
got into a Nilloo jungle, which I was two hours in passing 
through and in which nothing is to be seen but the straight 
stems of the plants growing close together, to the height 
from twelve to twenty feet, without branches, and without 
foliage, till near the top, which is crowned with large leaves 
excluding light, and almost air, from the soil below, which is 
consequently barren of every thing but a few common ferns; : 
this plant belongs to the Acanthacee, and is twelve, or some 
say fifteen years of coming to maturity, when it flowers 
ripens its fruit and dies. It covers miles of country, and may - 
be seen of different ages and heights; the young plant, for. 
the first year or two, springing up under the bare dry stems 
of the parent shrub, which continue erect for that time.— 
Plants of different ages, however, are never seen togethers 
for a great extent they appear, when young, like a luxuriant 
E 
turnep field, —in a mile or two you find them of greater. 
height, the growth ofa previous season, but again all evidently : 
of the same age; the first year after the plant has flowered, 
the jungle presents nothing for acres together, but the straight 
_ dead stem of the plant, with the branches which crowned its- 
| summit, decayed and broken, and strewed on the ground be 
. low. It is curious that we have never been fortunate enough. 
- to find this plant in flower, though we have seen it of all 
Stages of growth. There are a great many plants, to ` 
