CHA1-. xii. A JUNGLE TRIP. 279 



CHAPTER XII. 



A JUNGLE TRIP. 



On November 16, 1851 T started from Kandy, 

 accompanied by my brother, Lieutenant V. Baker,' 

 then of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment. Having sent on 

 our horses from Newera Ellia some days previous, as 

 far as Matille, sixteen miles from Kandy, we drove 

 there early in the morning, and breakfasted with 

 F. Layard, Esq., who was then assistant government 

 agent. It had rained without ceasing during twenty- 

 four hours, and hoping that the weather might change, 

 we waited at Matille till two o'clock P.M. The rain 

 still poured in torrents, and giving up all ideas of fine 

 weather, we started. 



The horses were brought round, and old Jack knew 

 as well as I did that he was starting for a trip, as the 

 tether rope was wound round his neck, and the horse- 

 cloth was under his saddle. The old horse was sleek 

 and in fine condition for a journey, and, without further 

 loss of time, we started for Dambool, a distance of 

 thirty-one miles. Not wishing to be benighted, we 

 cantered the whole way, and completed the distance 



1 Now Colonel Valentine Baker, late 10th Hussars. 



