- stil 
EXCURSION TO 
thacee,) with the back of the leaf deep 
purple, but not in flower, (the natives say 
it flowers but once in fifteen years,) with 
many other genera and species of the same 
family. Near the ambulam there is a re- 
markable echo, which returns the sound 
almost immediately, very loud and dis- 
tinct. I observed that the mountains here 
form a kind of amphitheatre; and that 
almost opposite to the precipice, on the 
brink of which we stood, there is a mass 
of rock, which I think must occasion the 
echo; the voice seeming to be reflected 
back from it, if I may use the expression. 
After walking till I was quite tired, I got 
into my palankeen again, and proceeded 
as before, with my heels higher than my 
head. In this day's journey we had but 
one short descent which brought us near 
the source of the Cala-gunga, the river we 
have crossed so often since we left Ratna- 
poora. I saw but one little patch of culti- 
vation after we left Palabatula; which, I 
believe, is the highest inhabitable place 
in this part of the island. We soon began 
to mount again, and after passing over two 
or three places, where I really expected 
to be tilted out of the palankeen, I was 
safely deposited at Diabetma, twenty-five 
minutes after two, P.M. The rest-house 
here is a large substantial building but 
wretchedly uncomfortable, being damp 
and dark, and black with dirt and smoke ; 
it having been erected by government for 
the accommodation of the pilgrims who 
assemble here in great numbers; there 
being no huts or habitations of any kind 
after leaving Palabatula, excepting this 
rest-house. Our coolies seemed to con- 
sider themselves fully entitled to take up 
their abode under the same roof with us, 
and to prepare their food in the verandah, 
actually smoking us out of the house, 
although there are good out-houses and 
cook-rooms for the purpose. I never, any 
where else, saw them attempt such a thing 
Our servants were obliged to put 
out the fires they had kindled half a dozen 
times, before we could get rid of them. 
When Col. W. arrived, we looked over our 
plants and put specimens in paper; then 
ADAM'S PEAK. 9 
set about making observations with map, 
compass, and telescope. We saw the sea 
plainly with the naked eye; also several 
large pieces of water between West and 
South; the most extensive, we think, must 
be the lake of Bolgodde; the evening sun 
shining bright on the water, made it very 
distinct. With the glass we could distinctly 
observe the fringing of the cocoa nut trees 
round the sea coast. I took a sketch of 
the scenery to the westward of the rest- 
house; the principal object, the fine rocky 
mountain called Oonadiya parawette, said 
to mean Aoí-water mountain, from a tra- 
dition that, formerly, a boiling spring ex- 
isted on its summit, of which, however, 
there is no vestige now, the natives say, 
(for I do not know that the spot has ever 
been visited by Europeans,) and it does 
not seem very accessible. 
turesque; it exceeds the powers of the 
pencil: such Pisgah views cannot be re- 
presented on paper—the mountain rises 
abruptly before you, fronting the Peak, 
which, on turning to the eastward, pre- 
sents itself in all its majesty, over-top- 
ping the surrounding mountains, which, 
at a distance, seemed to rival it in height. 
2nd.—The coolies declaring at Palaba- 
tula that they could not carry our camp 
bedsteads any further, from the increas- 
ing difficulties of the road, we were 
obliged to content ourselves with our 
mattresses laid on the benches we found 
in the room ; rather a hard bed I thought. 
We were here glad to have recourse to our 
blankets, at night, the thermometer being 
64° when we went to bed, and 58° at six 
o'clock in the morning. Got up at seven, 
breakfasted, and by half-past nine were 
again fairly under way. From Diabetma 
there is an immediate and steep descent ; 
but we soon began to mount again, the 
road getting from very bad to a great deal 
worse, until it must have become quite 
impassible, had not the smooth surface 
of the rock been cut horizontally and 
fashioned into steps, to the number of one 
hundred and twenty-seven. About half 
way up this s/air there is a rude figure 
