II I 



TWENTY YEARS AGO 



/^^NE fine evening in the later seventies 

 found the British India Steam Navi- 

 gation Company's ship Africa leaving the 

 harbour of Point-de-Galle with myself and 

 my battery (a double 12-bore rifle and a 

 ditto ditto gun) on board. When I say 

 ''fine" it must be understood that I do not 

 mean that the weather was good. It may 

 have been, but with the exception of the first 

 three months of the year few evenings 

 in Ceylon are without clouds, even if rain 



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