3io THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap, xm 



at the luxurious and pretty village of Bibille\ which 

 had so often been my quarters. 



We had ridden a hundred and forty miles from Min- 

 neria, through a country abounding with game of all 

 kinds, sixty miles of which had never been shot over, 

 and yet the whole bag in this lovely country consisted 

 of only three elephants. So much for hurrying through 

 our ground. If we had remained for a week at the 

 foot of the Gunner's Coin we could have obtained 

 supplies of all kinds from Doolana, and we should 

 have enjoyed excellent sport through the whole country. 

 Our total bag was now wretchedly small, considering 

 the quantity of ground that we had passed over. We 

 had killed nine elephants and two deer. V. Baker had 

 a miserable time of it, having only killed two elephants 

 when he was obliged to return. The trip might, in 

 fact, be said to commence from Bibille. 



This is a very pretty, civilized village, in the midst 

 of a wild country. It is the residence of a Rhatama- 

 hatmeya, and he and his family were well known to 

 me. They were perfectly astonished when they heard 

 by which route we had arrived, and upon hearing of 

 our forty-eight hours of fasting, they lost no time in 

 preparing dinner. We were now in a land of plenty, 

 and we shortly fell to at a glorious dinner of fowls in 

 various shapes, curries, good coffee, rice cakes, plantains, 

 and sweet potatoes. After our recent abstinence and 

 poor fare, it seemed a perfect banquet. 



