154 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON chap. vit. 



a splendid tamarind tree. Opposite to this was a 'bo'- 

 tree ; ' this grew to an extraordinary size ; the wide- 

 spreading branches covered about half an acre of 

 ground, and the trunk measured upwards of forty feet 

 in circumference. The tamarind-tree was nearly the 

 same size ; and I never saw together two such mag- 

 nificent specimens of vegetation. A few paces from 

 this spot, a lake of about four miles' circuit lay in the 

 centre of a plain ; this was surrounded by open forests 

 and jungles, all of which looked like good covers for 

 game. Skirting the opposite banks of the lake, we 

 pitched the tent under some shady trees upon a fine 

 level sward. By this time it was nearly dusk, and I 

 had barely time to stroll out and kill a peacock for 

 dinner before night set in. 



The next morning, having been joined by my 

 friend, Mr. P. Braybrook, then government agent of 

 this district, our party was increased to three, and 

 seeing no traces of elephants in this neighbourhood, 

 we determined to proceed to a place called Wihar6- 

 welle\ about six miles farther inland. 



Our route now lay along a broad causeway of 

 solid masonry. On either side of this road, stone 

 pillars of about twelve feet in height stood in broken 

 rows, and lay scattered in every direction through 

 the jungle. Ruined dagobas and temples jutted their 

 rugged summits above the tree-tops, and many lines 



1 Very similar to the banian-tree. 



