chap. vii. SITRAWELLE. 153 



few days after, no less than 18,000 pilgrims congre- 

 gated at Kattregam. 



I was at this time shooting with my friend, Mr. 

 H. Walters, then of the 1 5th Regiment. We waded up 

 the bed of the river for about a mile, and then pitched 

 the tent under some fine trees in the open forest. 

 Several wild buffaloes were drinking in the river with- 

 in a short distance of us ; but thinking this a likely 

 spot for elephants, we determined not to disturb the 

 neighbourhood by firing a shot until we had first ex- 

 plored the country. After a walk of a couple of hours 

 through fine open forest and small bushy plains, we 

 came to the conclusion that there were very few 

 elephants in the country, and we devoted ourselves 

 to other game. 



After a day or two spent in killing deer, a few 

 wild buffaloes, and only one elephant, I felt convinced 

 that we should never find the latter, in the dry state 

 of the country, unless by watching at some tank at 

 night. We therefore moved our encampment inland 

 about twenty-five miles from Yalle. Here there is a 

 large tank, which I concluded would be the resort of 

 elephants. 



A long day's journey through a burning sun 

 brought us to Sitrawelle. This is a small village, 

 about six miles inward from the sea-coast village of 

 Kesinde. Here the natives brought us plantains and 

 buffalo milk, while we took shelter from the sun under 



