THE PHYSICAL FEATURES 



flows into the sea at Kottiar Bay, Trincomalee, after a 

 course of about 170 miles. 



Along both banks of this river, and usually a quarter 

 of a mile to i mile inland, lie the series of great swamps 

 (wilas) previously alluded to, where fine bird shooting can be 

 had in the season, and elephants, buffaloes, pig, and deer 

 are met with all the year round. Cross the river at the prin- 

 cipal ferry and you can make your way towards Gunner's 

 Quoin, a fine rocky hill rising 1700 feet above the plain, 

 in the neighbourhood of which you will find grand "park " 

 country ; whilst if you make your way farther south 

 from there you will find a good deal of dense forest, 

 more parks, and the country of the wild Veddahs, the 

 supposed aboriginal inhabitants of Ceylon, but to get 

 there you will find no roads, and only mere footpaths 

 impossible to follow without guides. Northward, again, 

 from Gunner's Quoin along the river are more wilas 

 on both sides, where buffalo and elephants may be found. 

 The inhabitants of Tamankaduwa are Singhalese in the in- 

 terior villages, Moors along all the wilas on the west 

 side of the river, and Tamils and Moors on the east side, 

 with a few Veddah villages near Gunner's Quoin. 



Taking it all round Tamankaduwa is one of the 

 easiest of the inland wilds to visit and travel in, whilst 

 the country is very pretty, and the sport, though not 

 plentiful, is fair. The wet season is, as usual, October 

 to January inclusive, a little rain in April and May, the 

 rest of the year dead dry and very hot. The Mahaweli- 

 ganga is the only perennial river. 



As the Eastern Province forms the eastern boundary of 

 Tamankaduwa and the North Central Province, I will deal 

 with it next. This is a long, narrow, irregular-shaped pro- 

 vince extending along fully three-fourths of the whole east 



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