COACHING IN CEYLON 165 



travelled by it and was upset twice, 

 down two separate embankments, in one 

 morning. 



The main roads in Ceylon are probably 

 unequalled in any country in the world, and 

 are, I believe, kept up by forced labour — 

 that is to say, every able-bodied male in- 

 habitant has either to do so many days' work 

 on the roads, or to pay a substitute. Near 

 the sea-coast the roads are repaired with 

 cabook, a disintegrated coral, and are practi- 

 cally all dead level. The inland roads ascend 

 terrific hills, but the gradients are as 

 scientifically arranged as possible. The old 

 Kandy and Colombo road, which has long 

 ceased to be a coach road, even goes 

 through a tunnel. Anent this I may be 

 allowed an anecdote. There was an old 

 prophecy about a certain hill near Kandy, 



