CHAPTER XII. 

 A JUNGLE TRIP. 



ON the i6th of November, 1851, I started from 

 Kandy, accompanied by my brother, Lieutenant 

 V. Baker, then of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment. Having 

 sent on our horses from Newera Ellia some days pre- 

 vious, as far as Matille, sixteen miles from Kandy, we 

 drove there early in the morning, and breakfasted with 

 F. Layard, Esq., who was then assistant government 

 agent. It had rained without ceasing during twenty- 

 four hours, and, hoping that the weather might change, 

 we waited at Matill6 till two o'clock p. AT. The rain 

 still poured in torrents, and, giving up all ideas of fine 

 weather, we started. 



The horses were brought round, and old Jack knew 

 as well as I did that he was starting for a trip, as the 

 tether rope was wound round his neck and the horse- 

 cloth was under his saddle. The old horse was sleek 

 and in fine condition for a journey, and, without further 

 loss of time, we started for Dambool, a distance of 

 thirty-one miles. Not wishing to be benighted, we can- 

 tered the whole way, and completed the distance in 

 three hours and a half, as we arrived at Dambool at 

 half-past five p. M. 



I had started off Wallace and all the coolies from 

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