THE OUT-STATION; 



OR, 



JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE MOUNTAIN- JUNGLE OF CEYLON. 



HAVE you not, times without number, most ami- 

 able and unsophisticated reader, alighted upon some 

 of the innumerable home-conceived fancies of the 

 Eastern jungle, imposed upon you through portions of 

 our " Annual" curiosities of literature ? and, conse- 

 quently, have you not had that interesting locality 

 daguerreotyped on your imagination, as being an un- 

 bounded ocean of solar-microscopically-magnified her- 

 bageeach blade of grass resembling that of a 

 gigantic broadsword with three or four palm, talipot, 

 or cocoa-nut trees (for all the world like parasols 

 with handles on the " malle elastique" principle), 

 thrown in by way of variety ; whilst the terrestrial 

 portion of the scene is garnished with the head of 

 a tiger, and set off with a rattlesnake's tail, by 

 way of excitement? all which original conception 



B 



