CEYLON. 257 



is a fine group of palms, of which the famous " Talipot" is the 

 grandest. Beds of yuccas are at either side, together with 

 enormous Uranias (travellers'-tree), which have acquired large 

 trunks by age, and resemble great fans of peacocks' feathers 

 — such as are carried before the Pope on grand holidays. When 

 the sheath of a young leaf is pierced, out gushes a stream of 

 very good water, whence the name of "travellers'-tree." The 

 garden is very well kept for a tropical one, where weeds grow 

 so rapidly. Thwaites pointed out several large trees, over 

 twenty feet high, which he had planted as seeds only three 

 years ago. Weeds here are frequently shrubs or trees which 

 must be uprooted. The Caryota palm is a very troublesome 

 weed in the garden. It bears a profusion of berries, which are 

 scattered about by squirrels and birds, and spring up everywhere. 

 The beautiful Tliunbergia, which we prize as a hothouse plant, 

 is here a most troublesome weed, clasping small things like our 

 wild convolvulus. Apple-trees grow here like raspberry bushes, 

 only clusters of suckers from root buds— -neither branch nor 

 stem. In this state they live, but make leaves only. Few of 

 the fuchsias can be cultivated. The corymbiflora grows the 

 best, but can only be forced into flower by destroying its leaf- 

 buds ; yet China roses do very well: Sweetbriar keeps its scent, 

 but rarely blossoms. Violets will not do here, but grow in 

 colder places. The chocolate trees are laden with fruit, and so 

 are the nutmegs. Bread-fruit we have daily at table. The 

 oranges are green when ripe, sweet, and well-flavoured, and 

 better than those we get in Ireland. 



October 6th. 

 On the 29th ult. Mr. Thwaites and I set off for Pallagalla, 

 forty miles from this, the estate of Mr. Wall, a coffee-planter in 

 the high country. We were out in all six days, one spent in 

 carriage journey, two at Pallagalla, and three returning on foot. 

 The weather prevented our proceeding to Newera Ellia, as we 

 had intended on setting out. My visit to Ceylon has been 

 completely ill timed. The weather is now quite broken. I 

 should have arrived in December and stayed till March. But 

 'tis a folly to fret ; so for our ride to Mr. Wall's. 



The roadside was often rocky, the rocks in wet places covered 

 with ferns, of which the most beautiful was Blechnum orientate, 



