FEOM KAKBY TO CALTURA. 
401 
or three huts here, which the inhabitants had deserted. 
We occupied one of them during the night. 
March 31. — Frorn Amhegamme to Wella MdlloOy 5i 
hours on the road ; probable distance about 10 miles. 
At 6 A. M. we left Ambeganime. For about a quarter 
of a mile the pathway leads along the right bank of the 
river, and then crosses to the left by a ford. From this 
ford the road led along the bed of a very rugged ravine to 
the top of a high hill. After gaining the summit, we had 
to descend the hill, on the other side, by a still more rug- 
ged and precipitous ravine than the one in which we had 
ascended. In wet weather, these ravines contain mountain- 
torrents, which sweep away the earth and small stones, 
leaving only the large masses of rock. The pathway is 
therefore extremely rugged, and the labour which attends 
the ascending or descending is very considerable. The 
large roots of trees which cross the ravines, form as 
serious impediments as the rocky masses that are found 
lying along their course. The flanks of the ravines 
were overgrown with trees of all ages ; some were mere- 
ly young shoots; others in a state of maturity, and of 
enormous magnitude, while many were in a state of great 
decay. We were nearly two hours in traversing this hill. 
At the bottom pf the hill we crossed the Kihel-gamme- 
^anga (plantain-village-river), which runs westward. In 
wet weather this river must be very large and rapid, and 
cannot then be passed. We were here informed that no 
European had ever proceeded farther by this route. 
About an hour after crossing the Kihel-gamme-ganga, 
we reached the Maskilia-ganga. Both these rivers run in 
the same direction. Eventually they unite, and contribute 
to form the Calany-ganga, or Moot-waal river, which falls 
jjjto the sea near to Colombo. Hitherto we had travelled 
