306 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. xii. 



' Cyclops ' would not have been out of place in this 

 spot ; they were just the class of people that one 

 would expect to meet. 



Late in the afternoon we arrived at the long- 

 talked-of village of Oomanoo, about eighteen miles 

 from our last encampment. It was a squalid, miserable 

 place, of course, and nothing was obtainable. Our 

 coolies had not tasted food since the preceding 

 evening; but, by good luck, we met a travelling 

 Moorman, who had just arrived at the village with a 

 little rice to exchange with the Veddahs for dried 

 venison. As the villagers did not happen to have any 

 meat to barter, we purchased all the rice at an exorbi- 

 tant price ; but it was only sufficient for half a meal 

 for each servant and coolie, when equally divided. 



Fortunately, we killed four snipe and two doves : 

 these were added to our last two tins of provisions, 

 which were ' hotch potch,' and stewed altogether. 

 This made a good dinner. We had now nothing left but 

 our biscuits and groceries. All our hams and pre- 

 served meats were gone, and we only had one meal 

 on that day. 



Nov. 27. — Our horses had eaten nothing but grass 

 for many days ; this, however, was excellent, and old 

 Jack looked fat, and was as hardy as ever. We now 

 discharged our Veddah guides, and took on others 

 from Oomanoo. These men told us that we were 

 only four miles from the Batticaloa road, and with 



