THE COFFEE.RAT, 
101 
spersed with flowers of a brilliant red. A few montliB 
later, whea the fruits are ripening into carmine^ a scene 
of the most bustling animation ensues, for old and yonng 
are Imsilv employed in plucking the swelling berries, and 
hurrying with filled baskets to the nearest pulping niilL 
In Ceylon the native woodmen are singularly expert in 
felling forest trees preparatory^ to the cultivation of coffee. 
Taming to advantage the luxuriance of tropical vegetation, 
which lashes together whole forests by a maze of interlac- 
ing climbers as firm and massy as the cables of a line*of- 
hattle ship, their practice in steep and mountainous places 
is to cut half-way through each stem in succession till an 
area of some acres in extent is prepared for the final over- 
tlirow*. They then sever some tall group on the eminence, 
and allow it in its descent to precipitate itself on those 
below, when the whole expanse is in one moment brought 
