172 COACHING IN CEYLON 



The pole-chain was connected, also his 

 inside trace, while the guard held the outer 

 one. Then the driver whipped up the near 

 horse, three or four natives manned the 

 wheels, and the coach started. We ''over- 

 took " the off horse ; he swung round into 

 his place, and was galloping by the other 

 long before the guard had secured his off 

 trace and regained his own seat. 



Whilst our coach is rapidly rolling over 

 the next stage or two, let us take a glance at 

 a Ceylon low-country road and its surround- 

 ings. For the most part these roads are, as 

 I have said, dead level, and rarely out of 

 sight of the white breakers tumbling 

 incessantly on the coral reefs which fringe 

 the coast. For nearly the whole distance, 

 too, they run under overhanging cocoa-nut 

 palms, the great leaves of which clash and 



