HUNTING IN INDIA. 229 



Something like a breakfast, we said, and I think my 

 readers will agree. 



My next innovation was to suggest riding to the 

 hounds. In fact, I had been doing so quietly for some 

 time on by-days when nobody was out. My sug- 

 gestion met with violent opposition, but I suggested 

 that they should come out and see. The experiment 

 took place in the lovely ride known as Lady Horton's 

 Walk, where I knew the plentiful walks of easy 

 gradient would enable the most timid to see the fun. 

 It is true we could see but little of hounds, they being 

 mostly in the thick jungle, but when they finally ran 

 into their hare, everybody was delighted, and it was 

 decided that we should ride except on Sundays, on 

 which day only some of the members who had no 

 horses could get away. 



A few miles from Kandy lie the celebrated 

 Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya. They consist 

 largely of beautifully-kept park land, and are almost 

 entirely surrounded by a bend of the Mahawelliganga, 

 which here forms a complete S, the estate of Gangarua, 

 of which I have before spoken, being in the upper half 

 and the Botanical Gardens in the lower. I had long 

 cast an eye on these rolling grass lands, but had not 

 quite the audacity to take hounds there uninvited. It 

 so happened that at this time a new Superintendent 

 arrived from England to take charge of the gardens. 

 I called on him, and when he returned my call I 

 artfully led the conversation round to hunting, and said 

 I hoped he would let us meet at his bungalow shortly. 

 He replied politely, but evidently was not keen on it. 



