182 EXECllAliLE ROAD. 



roads beiii^ deej) with iiuul iiiid the rivers impassable. 

 This was no small disappointment, Init 1 was not to 

 bo deterred l)y obstaclos I had often overcome in 

 India, and started on my formidable journey, merely 

 taking extra precautions by way of stout ro})es and a 

 few poles. 



The difficulties of the road were indeed immense, 

 and on several occasions I had to walk some miles, 

 often throui^li swamps, to obtain assistance from the 

 nearest hut or village. The whole country seemed 

 to be flooded, and the jungle teemed with leeches, 

 barely an inch long, which continually crept up my 

 legs, causing incessant irritation. Altogether I found 

 the obstacles much greater than I had anticipated ; they, 

 in fact, hourly increased as I proceeded, frequently 

 through dense forests, where seldom the human voice 

 was heard. Here also those enormous tree-like creepers 

 (Butea superha) frequently intercepted my path. 

 The entire distance between Kandy and Anai'ajapore , 

 due north, is about 90 miles, and there is another 

 buried town " Pollanarua " lying far to the east. 

 A few rest-houses are scattered about along the route, 

 although at considerable distances ; still they offer 

 shelter during the night, if nothing else. 



In the centre of the island there is a succession of 

 mountains for a distance of about 100 miles stretch- 



