270 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



This is a very pretty, civilized village, in the midst 

 of a wild country. It is the residence of a Rhatama- 

 hatmeya, and he. and his family were well known to 

 me. They were perfectly astonished when they heard 

 by which route we had arrived, and upon hearing of 

 our forty-eight hours of fasting, they lost no time in pre- 

 paring dinner. We were now in a land of plenty, and 

 we shortly fell to at a glorious dinner of fowls in various 

 shapes, curries, good coffee, rice cakes, plantains and 

 sweet potatoes. After our recent abstinence and poor 

 fare, it seemed a perfect banquet. 



Nov. 29. The coolies did not arrive till early this 

 morning ; they were soon hard at work at curry and 

 rice, and, after a few hours of rest, we packed up and 

 started for a spot in the park (upon which I had often 

 encamped) about ten miles from Bibilld. 



The horses had enjoyed their paddy as much as we 

 had relished our change of diet, and the coolies were 

 perfectly refreshed. I sent orders to Kotoboya (about 

 twenty miles from Bibille) for several bullock-loads of 

 paddy and rice to meet us at an appointed spot, and 

 with a good supply of fowls and rice, etc., for the pres- 

 ent, we arrived at our place of encampment at three 

 P. M., after a delightful ride. 



The grass was beautifully green ; a few large trees 

 shaded the tents, which were pitched near a stream, and 

 the undulations of the ground, interspersed with clumps 

 of trees and ornamented by rocky mountains, formed a 

 most lovely scene. We sent a messenger to Nielgalla 

 for Banda, and another to Dimboolden for old Medima 

 and the trackers, with orders to meet us at our present 

 encampment. We then took our rifles and strolled out 

 to get a deer. We shortly found a herd, and Wortley 



