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and occasionally broken by the most picturesque rocks ; the vege- 
tation as rich as ever, and the sea constantly close on our left hand- 
When it was dark, they made torches of the dead branches, or rather 
leaves, of the cocoa-nut : these burnt with rapidity and brilliancy, 
and had a beautiful effect, when reflected by the closely interwoven 
roof of lofty cocoa-nut trees, under which we were travelling. 
The head Cingalese of the district met me in his dress of ceremony, 
which was introduced by the Dutch, and continued by us. It is of 
blue silk or stuff, made like an European coat, closed in the front 
with silver buttons and frogs ; a silver sash over all ; to which is 
suspended a small silver mounted sword. There is no covering to 
the head : the hair is drawn close up with a tortoise-shell comb. A 
piece of coloured linen serves instead of breeches. He paid his 
respects, and laid a piece of white cloth from the palanquin to the 
house, where the chairs were covered with white. A portico had 
been erected a few days before for the Governor, and had been 
newly ornamented for me, with cocoa leaves. It now began to rain, 
and the thunder was loud, we therefore got the palanquins under 
shelter, and staid there till eleven o'clock. It would have been 
a desperate undertaking to have proceeded through the jungle 
without a light. As soon as it was clear we set off, with a fresh 
guard of sepoys ; but the boys moved very slowly, the rain having 
made the road slippery. Whenever they thought me asleep they 
immediately stopped, for which reason we made but little way till 
morning. The night was cool, the breeze constantly coming from 
the sea, to which I knew we were always close, by the roar of 
the surf. 
December 51. — I awoke about five, and for once found I was 
