266 The Rijle and Hound in Ceylon. 



piled one upon the other, forming long, dark alleys and 

 cases that would have housed some hundreds of men. 



The effect was perfectly fairylike, as the Taint silver 

 light of the sun, mellowed by the screen of tree tops, 

 half lighted up these silent caves. The giant stems of 

 the trees sprang like tall columns from the foundations 

 of the rocks and shadowed them with their dense foli- 

 age. Two or three families of " Cyclops" would not 

 have been out of place in this spot ; they were just the 

 class of people that one would expect to meet in such a 

 place. 



Late in the afternoon we arrived at the long talked- 

 of village of Oomanoo, about eighteen miles from our 

 last encampment. It was a squalid, miserable place of 

 course, and nothing was attainable. Our coolies had 

 not tasted food since the preceding evening; but, by 

 good luck, we met a traveling Moorman, who had just 

 arrived at the village with a little rice to exchange with 

 the Veddahs for dried venison. As the villagers did 

 not happen to haye any meat to barter, we purchased 

 all the rice at an exorbitant price ; but it was only 

 sufficient for half a meal for each servant and coolie, 

 when equally divided. 



Fortunately, we killed four snipe and two doves : 

 these were added to our last two tins of provisions, 

 which were " hotch potch," and stewed altogether. 

 This made a good dinner. We had now nothing left 

 but our biscuits and groceries. All our hams and pre- 

 served meats were gone, and we only had one meal on 

 that day. 



Nov. 27. — Our horses had eaten nothing but grass 

 for many days ; this, however, was excellent, and old 

 Jack looked fat, and was as hardy as ever. We now 



