FtoM KANDY TO CALTURA. 
405 
situation in which they grew was much elevated above thfe 
«ite of Kandy. For some time the pathway lay along the 
ridge of a narrow hill, on each side of which was a river, 
or oya. Beyond each river was a range of peaked moun- 
tains ; that on our right was remarkably high and 
rugged. The rivers at some places fell over stupendous 
precipices, forming cascades of great magnitude. From the 
height of one of these cascades, the whole mass of water, 
which passed over the rock, seemed to rise again in white 
vapour. — Before reaching Doonatiboo-Oya, we ascended 
the Heremetya-hela (Walking-stick Hili). The pathway 
is here excessively steep. Formerly, when the number of 
pilgrims who visited the Peak by this route was numerous, 
it was considered meritorious for each pilgrim to dispose 
of his walking-staff on the face of the hill, so as to assist 
future travellers in effecting an ascent. For this purpose, 
some of the walking-sticks are pushed perpendicularly into 
the earth about a foot and a half, or fwo feet, distant. Be- 
hind these vertical sticks, bundles of rods are laid horizon- 
tally, by which means steps are formed that greatly assist 
in ascending the steep face of the hill. We did not see a 
single cottage during this day's journey. The guides which 
Mr Sawers had procured at Welle-malloo, asserted they 
were ignorant of the road shortly after they left that place ; 
they, however, penetrated into the jungle, and discovered 
a hut, the proprietor of which they brought away with 
them, and insisted that he should act as a guide. This 
man stated that he had been sixteen times at the Peak, but 
he evinced great reluctance to revisit it on this occasion. 
His scruples were eventually removed, and he afterwards 
proved to be very useful. Although the constant inhabit- 
'^nt of a dreary inhospitable wilderness, he conducted him- 
self with much propriety, I may even say politeness, and 
evinced intellectual qualities far beyond our expectation. 
