CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 241 



where it was finally despatched by blows from 

 the sticks, but it appeared to be extraordinarily 

 tenacious of life. 



This cobra had been seen several times in 

 the neighbourhood of the Bungalow, but had 

 always managed to get away, so there was 

 great rejoicing over its destruction. It made 

 me shudder to think how easily one of us might 

 have been bitten, whilst unsuspiciously tending 

 the ferns, and very thankful that we had all 

 escaped so well. Cobras are supposed to go 

 about in pairs, when you kill one, another soon 

 appears in the same place, so it behoves us for 

 a time to be extra watchful. Whilst on the 

 subject of cobras — I must insert a very amus- 

 ing letter copied from the "Ceylon Observer." 

 It was written by a Babu to the Editor of the 

 " Upper Burma Gazette," as follows : — 



(To the Editor Upper Burma Gazette?) 



Sir, — I should like to bring to notice of public through 

 widely scattered columns of your valuable journal a 

 peradventure that overtook my personality whilst 

 taking nocturnal perambulations on the West Moat 

 Road in order to caution fellow citizens against 

 simultaneous danger. Whilst wending my way along 

 abovesaid thoroughfare in the evening of the 22nd 

 ultimo, and pursuing a course as crow flies towards 

 my humble domicile, I was suddenly and instantan- 

 eously confronted with monstrous hissing and much 

 confounded in immediate vicinity. I first remained 



