: fB;Om kandy to caltura. $97 
We left Kandy about 7 a. m. The road to Gampoola 
crosses the Maha Villa Ganga at the ford of Mee Watera, 
about one mile above the Gan-Orua ferry, and leads south- 
. ward along the left bank of the river. On each side of the 
river a broken rid*ge of mountains rises, which slopes 
abruptly to the edge of the current. The pathway passes 
through thick jungle, and seldom deviates to any consider- 
able extent from the side of the river. 
In consequence of the abrupt sloping of the hills towards 
the river, there is very little ground fit for the cultivation 
of paddy (rice) on either of its banks. For the first six or 
seven miles there are, at distant intervalsj small level spaces 
where paddy is raised, on the right bank of the river* On 
the left bank, however, there is no ground fit for its culti- 
vation, until within a few miles of Gampoola. As we ap- 
proach this station, the mountains on the left of the river 
diverge, leaving a valley of about a mile broad between 
them and the river. This is the Valley of Gampoola. 
The mountains and hills which bounded the view from 
the pathway, were^ for the most part, thickly covered with 
jungle, and had a sombre autumnal appearance. 
We reached Gampoola about 1 p. m. The vale of 
Gampoola is well watered, and yields two crops annual- 
ly. The seasons of sowing depend greatly upon the 
state of the weather in regard to rain. Fields that can be 
irrigated from a river or constant stream, may be sown 
during any period of the year^ and many spots of ground 
thus situated, yield three crops a-year. There are two kinds 
of paddy much raised in the Kandyan provinces, namely, 
the Maha Wee, and Hinettee or Sionettee. The former 
yields the best crop, but it requires from six to seven 
months to arrive at maturity ; the latter is sooner ripe, but 
the crop is less abundant. The Maha Wee is sown in 
July or August, and is generally reaped in February or 
VOL, IV. D d 
