CHAPTER VI 



THE PHYSICAL FEATURES AND HUNTING DIS- 

 TRICTS OF CEYLON: THE DIFFICULTIES OF 

 TRAVELLING AND CAMPING 



I AM now approaching the subject of big game shooting in 

 the low country, but before entering upon it I had better 

 introduce my readers to the general features of Ceylon. 



Take the map which you will find at the end of this 

 book, and, with it before you, let me conduct you through 

 the country, province by province, beginning with the 

 Northern Province. 



At the extreme north is what may be called the island 

 of Jaffna, and this may be neglected by the sportsman, 

 as it is mostly under cultivation, until he comes south 

 as far as Elephant Pass, where a causeway connects with 

 the mainland. At Elephant Pass good fishing and a fair 

 amount of water-fowl and partridge shooting may be 

 obtained. 



The mainland portion of the province is dead flat, 

 and consists almost entirely of scrub and forest, and con- 

 tains very little open sporting country, such as there is 

 being merely the abandoned or inhabited lands in and 

 about the irrigation tanks. A strip of scrubby, sandy 

 waste may be found along the coast, with here and there 

 a lagoon alive with water-fowl. In this strip the grey 

 partridge may be found along the west, north, and north- 

 east coasts and on the islands, and probably lots of hares, 

 or an occasional deer or pig, whilst both west and east 



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