! 



Mr. E. L. Layard's Rambles in Ceylon. 337 



night, at that very spot. This place," added he, "is noted for 



bears, — so in fact is all Carretchy. Two years ago, when the great 



drought prevailed, the women never dared go for water to the wells, 



as is their custom, for the bears flocked out of the forest to the water, 



and it was no uncommon thing for the villagers to kill two or three 



a day ; — poor Bruin, in his extremity, getting into the wells, whose 



loose sandy soil, not affording him any foot-hold, effectually prevented 



his escape." Thus chatting we threaded our way through the jungle. 



We had with us two rifles, two double guns and two single, including 



the collecting gun, and were anxiously hoping for elephants to show 



themselves, but they would not ; so we contented ourselves by shooting 



small game, such as deer (C. axis), hares (L. nigricollis), and partridges 



(P. Pondiceriaaus) . We saw one elk (C. Hippelaphus), but could 



not get a shot at it. The elk keeps more to the thick forest than 



the spotted deer, or axis, and is far more wary and shy. I observed 



Treron bicincta, T. chlorigaster, Turtur humilis, T. risorius, and 



T. Suratemis, — all very abundant except T. humilis, which is the 



rarest of our Turturs. Macrop>teryx coronatus is common, and a large 



" hornbill " (Buceros), which I have not been able to procure whole : 



a few casques that I have seen appear to belong to B. violaceus. 



Our eastern twilight set in, and night fell rapidly, as we wound our 

 way along a small nullah which bounded the jungle towards the 

 Mulletivoe side. Q. said, " This is a noted place for cheetas :" at 

 this time a rencontre would have been anything but agreeable ; he had 

 however hardly spoken, when a sullen growl from across the nullah 

 proclaimed the presence of a nice neighbour. In a moment the sharp 

 click of the rifles showed " make ready ;" the spare guns which had 

 lagged behind in " open order," closed up "double quick." The 

 dogs raised their bristles and made ready for the combat ; however he 

 did not attack us, nor did we think it prudent to assail him in the 

 darkness, so we passed silently and rapidly on into the open plains. 

 After riding for an hour or two more, the guide came to a stand-still, 

 bewildered ; the young moon was gone, and Q. could not recognize 

 any land-mark through the darkness, but felt sure we must be near 

 our destination. Dismounting, we held a council of war, when it 

 was determined that Q. should take the guide and try to find a path 

 through a belt of jungle on our left, behind which we supposed the 

 village to lie. A single shot was to call us to the rescue ; a double, 

 announce success, as I remained on the ground to collect the stragglers. ' 

 Throwing a cloth over the horses to protect them from the night wind, 

 which was piercingly cold and laden with dew, I threw myself on the 

 ground to steal a nap, when quickly " bang-bang " and a British 

 " hurrah " showed success ; so firing a " feu de joie " to bring up the 

 coolies, I hurried after Q. and found him sitting across a paddy 

 pounder, lighting his cheroot, and abusing the owner of the house 

 into whose premises we had got : the churl refused to give us fire, 

 water, or any assistance. Q.'s tinder-box supplied the first, and we 

 tore up some of his fence for fire-wood. He vowed he had not a fowl 

 in his possession, but we detected him secreting a hen and chickens in 

 a basket ; these he protested were dedicated to the temple. Q. took 

 one in his hand, pretending to admire it — of course repudiating the 



