62 THE OUT-STATION ; OR, 



The dweller at the out-station, from his situation, 

 is always provided for by the others, and to do him 

 justice, he certainly makes the most of his time in 

 laying- in a stock to last (or at least the remembrance 

 of it) till he is again summoned to the well-supplied 

 board of another elephant party, and what is more 

 delectable than all this, is the revived companionship 

 of our old friends and associates, whose vivid recitals 

 of what is going on "in the world" makes one 

 emulous of again shuffling off the coil of jungle-life 

 of exchanging the companionship of monkeys. for 

 that of men the wilderness for the world and of 

 henceforth pursuing a Beauty instead of a Beast. 



Although there are very many localities in different 

 parts of Ceylon well adapted for a crusade against 

 the elephants, the preference is usually given to a 

 place called Neilgella, on the eastern part of the 

 island, but nevertheless, some distance inland. 



Neilgella is an extensive, undulating plain of many 

 miles in circumference, bounded on all sides by moun- 

 tains covered to their summit with verdure, whilst 

 the ground itself is ornamented at regular distances 

 by large clusters of forest trees, which in their regu- 

 larity so perfectly resemble those of an English do- 

 main, that the place has long since been dignified by 

 the soubriquet of " the Park." 



At some seasons of the year the elephants (in for- 

 mer times) used literally to swarm here, whilst the 

 myriads of red deer with which it abounds make it 

 the scene of the ne plus ultra of the deerstalker's 

 enjoyment. 



