HUNTING IN THE INDIES 207 



sometimes it is as high as eight or nine. The gardens 

 are drained with large main drains, into which smaller 

 ones run at right angles, gridiron fashion. These do 

 not form a formidable leap, but are the frequent cause 

 of falls, as they are often overgrown with ferns and 

 quite invisible. 



I found the hounds in good working order, and 

 showing capital sport. At first they suffered a good 

 deal from too many hares, but later on things became 

 better. The meets took place at ten minutes to six. 

 As the kennels were some four miles out of town, this 

 meant an early start for the whips. When the meet 

 was some miles from the kennels I was frequently in 

 the saddle at 4.20 a.m. Besides this, the cinnamon 

 scrub was often soaking wet, and as we whips had to 

 go into it, we were often wet through nearly to the 

 waist before the hounds found. In addition to this, 

 the cinnamon abounded with a peculiarly vicious 

 species of red ant, whose bite is exactly like having a 

 red-hot needle run into one, and which frequently 

 got down our necks and up our sleeves. I do not 

 recall any incidents particularly calling for record 

 with these hounds, except that we once found a 

 curious species of game. Hearing the hounds bark- 

 ing furiously, we rode into the scrub, and found them 

 facing two enormous pythons. These were secured 

 and carried home by coolies, when they were found 

 to measure eighteen feet each. 



I must now leave the Colombo hounds and 

 come to the form of hunting which is far and 

 away the most exciting and interesting that is 

 followed in Ceylon. 



