GAJilPOLA AND THE COFFEE EEGIOXS. [Part VIT. 



CHAP. Yl 



GMIPOL.\ AND THE COFFEE EEGIOXS. 



The great road from Kandy to the Sanitarium of 

 Neuera-ellia, a distance of nearly fifty miles, is carried to 

 the height of six thousand feet above the sea, and passes, 

 for the greater part of the ascent, tlirough the mountain 

 districts, wliich have recently been enriched by the for- 

 mation of plantations of coffee. For the first twelve 

 miles it runs within a short distance of the MahaweUi- 

 ganga, crossing it by the bridge of Peradenia, wdiicli 

 here spans the river with a single arch of more than two 

 hundred feet, and its crown nearly seventy feet above 

 the stream. Such is the volume and ^dolence of the 

 torrent that rushes through this narrow channel durms; 

 the deluge of the monsoons, that in 1834 the waters 

 rose sixty feet above the ordinaiy level, hmiying along 

 the trunks of forest trees, and the carcases of buffaloes, 

 elephants, and deer. 



The drive from Kand}" to Gampola is calculated to 

 convey a favom^able impression of the wealth and com- 

 fort of the peasantry. The road is fined with bazaars for 

 the sale of Em-opean as well as native commodities ; and 

 it winds between farm-houses and granaries, and fields 

 rich in cattle for the labour of the rice-lands. 



But the dwelhngs visible from the highway are prin- 

 cipahy occupied by low-country Singlialese, Avho have 

 resorted to the hills as dealers ; the genius of the Kan- 

 dyans being morbidly opposed to traflic of all kinds, 

 and to intercourse with strangers. In conformity with 

 this feelinfT, the ^^llaQ:es are concealed in olens and 

 woods, and, wherever it is practicable, the houses are 

 built in nooks and hoUows, where they would escape 



