140 



entered tlic canal again. "We slept soundly on the floor of our 

 tiny cabin, and tlie cockroaches were good enough not to distnrVj 

 us. 



When ■we ■\voke the next morning large flocki of wild fowl 

 in the ilat marshes near the canal made us regret that we had 

 not come prepared for sport. A swim proved refreshing though 

 the water was not as clear as could be wished. Soon after a low 

 line of sand hills and tlie outlines of two or three pagodai told 

 us that we had reached our journey's end. 



It Avas delightful on that bright Christmas morning to step 

 out of our cramped quarters on to the short crisp turf, studded 

 with tiny iloAvers of wonderful beauty. Butterflies were flit- 

 ting in the sunshine, Papilios, Juonias and many otlier genera 

 which I failed to identify. But there was no time for .collect- 

 ing. Some of the most wonderfu] archeaological remains in India 

 claimed us, and butterflies and flowers had to be passed more or 

 less regretfully. 



We had not gone many paces before I lighted on a species 

 of Drosero growing on the short turf. At a rough glance it 

 seemed to be almost identical with our English species of sundew 

 which .irrows in bogs on peaty moors. It Avas therefore a matter 

 of surprise to find this Indian species on dry land close to the 

 ?ea. But there it was — tiny beads of dew glistering on its con- 

 cave leaves, and captive insects entangled in its fringes of 

 viscous hairs. Ascending a gentle slope we cautiously made 

 our Avay through a thicket and came to a little pond in which 

 were growing delicate pale blue water lilies. We passed other 

 pools in Avhich Avere groAving commoner Avhite Avaterlilies and 

 other aquatic plants. 



AVe noAV reached the first of the strange series of temples 

 Avhich Ave had come to see. But even werethisafittingplace, time 

 would fail me to describe these Avonderful Hindu shrines. Sufliceit 

 to say that every advantage had been taken of the peculiar con- 

 formation of the country. On the sides of the ridge 

 caves had been carved out of the solid rock, with life- 

 like bas relief in their interiors representing battle scenes and 

 other subjects. The huge boulders, already mentioned as 

 occurring in the south of India, had done good service here. In 

 places their steep sides had been fashioned into colossal frescoes, 

 Avhile some of the isolated rocks had been cut into perfect 

 tem])les of great beauty. We Avalked on through a groA'e of 

 casuarinas, almost tlie only tree Avhich condescends to groAV in 

 the dreary Avaste of sand-hills Avhich fringes the shore. The 

 roar of breakers beloAV us Avarned us that Ave had reached the 

 sea, and the next moment Ave Avcre on the beach. We climbed 

 up to a stone temple l)uilt on a small locky promontory, and 



