HUNTING IN INDIA. 231 



road by the Mosque, and into the town of Kandy. 

 What a hubbub ! More than she likes, for she turns 

 across the new railway, up through the officers 7 

 quarters on to the parade-ground. As I arrived there 

 this was the scene I witnessed : Half a hundred 

 British soldiers full cry, frightening my poor little 

 hounds off the line. Fortunately, the thick jungle 

 chokes them off. But the hare evidently has a love 

 for soldiers, for turning down again she once more 

 crosses the parade-ground, and the hounds pull her 

 down in the corner of a barrack- room. I present her 

 to the dwellers therein, and no doubt she goes to 

 swell the day's ration. 



When I left Kandy not long after, I had the 

 satisfaction of handing over to my successor a per- 

 fectly efficient pack of hounds. I believe they 

 were soon after given up, owing to nearly all the old 

 members of the Hunt leaving the station. 



I returned to Colombo to find the new pack ot 

 harriers in working order. I was offered, and gladly 

 accepted, the post of whip. We did the thing more 

 smartly in Colombo, huntsmen and whips wearing the 

 orthodox green frock with silver buttons. Only in- 

 stead of hunting caps we wore white helmets, for the 

 sun was often high before we returned home. 



The available hunting country at Colombo con- 

 sisted mostly of cinnamon gardens, interspersed with 

 groves of cocoa-nut trees. The cinnamon is a laurel- 

 like plant, growing to a height of about five feet, 

 though sometimes it is as high as eight or nine. The 

 gardens are drained with large main drains, into which 



