RETURN TO KANDY. 189' 



since by the lineal descendants of the orit,dnal keeper. 

 Great sanctity is of course ascribed to it by the Bud- 

 hists, and its fallen leaves are carried away as treasures 

 by pilgrims who would not dare to touch the sacred 

 tree itself, which is now enclosed by a wall supporting- 

 an iron railing, totally in discord with the venerable 

 relic. 



My return journey to Kandy was favoured by 

 splendid weather; and a pretty feature, all along the 

 mountain slopes, was the rhododendron, often reaching 

 a height of thirty to forty feet, and many other beauti- 

 ful shrubs and trees. Of those bearing fruit I noticed 

 the lime, the plantain, pomegranate, guava, and ram- 

 butan [Nepheliun rambutdn) (Plate XX.), the latter, 

 one of the most delicious fruits, similar in flavour to 

 the mangosteen of Java, and in appearance like a 

 bunch of two or three very large hairy red gooseberries. 



The country is supposed to be full of elephants, but it 

 did not fall to my lot to see a single wild one, although 

 I passed many kraals, or traps on a large scale, into 

 which they are driven and afterwards tamed. The 

 cattle are small and buffaloes plentiful; also several 

 kinds of deer and antelope and the pretty little Indian 

 muskdeer, monkeys in abundance, and hares, squirrels, 

 and porcupine. Magnificent butterflies I met with on 

 the mountains, especially a bright green species with 



