chap. XII. A JUNGLE TRIP. 381 



drought had reduced the lake from its original size of 

 twenty-two miles in circumference to a mere pool of 

 about four miles in circuit ; this was all that remained 

 of the noble sheet of water around which I had 

 formerly enjoyed so much sport. 



From the rich bed of the dry lake sprang a fine silky 

 grass of about two feet in height, forming a level plain 

 of velvet green far as the eye could reach. The turf 

 was firm and elastic ; the four o'clock sun had laid 

 aside the fiercest of his rays, and threw a gentle glow 

 over the scene, which reminded me of an English mid- 

 summer evening. 



There is so little ground in Ceylon upon which a 

 horse can gallop without the risks of holes, bogs, and 

 rocks that we could not resist a canter upon such fine 

 turf; and although the horses had made a long journey 

 already, they seemed to enjoy a more rapid pace when 

 they felt the inviting sward beneath their feet. Al- 

 though every inch of this country had been familiar 

 to me, I felt some difficulty in finding the way to 

 the appointed spot, the scene was so changed by the 

 disappearance of the water. 



There were fresh elephants' tracks in many parts 

 of the plain, and I was just anticipating good sport 

 for the next day, when we suddenly heard an elephant 

 trumpet in the open forest, which we were skirting. 

 The next instant I saw eight elephants among the 

 large trees which bordered the forest. For the moment 



