476 THE XOETHERN FOEESTS. [Pakt IX. 



crocodiles kept close to them all the time, and were 

 only deterred from attacking tliem by some balls from a 

 rifle. 



A river so impetuous, and flowing tlirough a level 

 country, is subject to sudden inundations arising from 

 the fall of the rains in the hills of the mterior. Some 

 years ago, a mihtary officer and his lady, proceeding to 

 TrincomaHe, were detained by a rise of the Yergel river, 

 that overflowed the adjacent village, and drove the 

 inhabitants to take refuoe on a neio-hbourino; rock, till 

 the waters subsided. Contrary to expectation, the rains, 

 instead of ceasing, increased ; the whole country, far and 

 wide, was laid under water ; and a fortnight elapsed 

 ere the party were enabled to descend and pm^sue then' 

 journey. 



The mouths of the Yergel, before it empties itself into 

 the sea, form a delta called Amitivoe, or the " island 

 of elephants," on which we passed the night in a rest- 

 house, on the northern bank. A wide and shallow 

 tank, close by the place where we halted, is a fiivourite 

 haunt of these animals, from which the place takes its 

 name ; and the ground near it showed abundant evi- 

 dences of their recent resort, being poched into deep 

 holes in every direction by then' feet. A gentleman 

 assured me that, on one occasion, at this spot, he counted 

 two hundred elephants in one group, and that others 

 were hidden by the jimgle. We were unfortunate in 

 seeing none ; but the evening after we had passed, a 

 herd of sixty came close beside the rest-house, and were 

 seen by some travellers, quietly browsing there till the 

 morning. 



As yet, no public roads exist in this portion of tlie 

 island ; for the path fi'equented by the tappal runners 

 is a mere track along the sea-coast, obhterated by every 

 rise of a river, or overflow of a salt marsh. When the 

 time arrives for constructino; a liiirhwav, to connect the 

 two eastern ports of Trincomahe and Batticaloa, it will 

 be expedient to carry the road fiuther inland, so as to 



