262 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. chap. XI. 



dogs behind him. How he can move in some of these 

 jungles is an enigma ; a horse would break his legs, 

 and, in fact, could not stir in places through which an 

 elk passes in full gallop. 



The principal underwood in the mountain districts 

 of Ceylon is the ' nillho.' This is a perfectly straight 

 stem, from twelve to twenty feet in length, and about 

 an inch and a half in diameter, having no branches ex- 

 cept a few small arms at the top, which are covered 

 with large leaves. This plant, in proportion to its 

 size, grows as close as corn in a field, and forms a 

 dense jungle most difficult to penetrate. When the 

 jungles are in this state, the elk is at a disadvantage, 

 as the immense exertion required to break his way 

 through this mass soon fatigues him, and forces him 

 to come to bay. 



Every seven years this ' nillho ' blossoms. The 

 jungles are then neither more nor less than vast 

 bouquets of bright purple and white flowers ; the per- 

 fume is delicious, and swarms of bees migrate from 

 other countries to make their harvest of honey. The 

 quantity collected is extraordinary. The bee-hunters 

 start from the low country, and spend weeks in the 

 jungle in collecting the honey and wax. When look- 

 ing over an immense tract of forest from some elevated 

 point, the thin blue lines of smoke may be seen rising 

 in many directions, marking the sites of the bee- 

 hunters' fires. Their method of taking the honey is 



