<xj MONTHLY. t» 
Vol. XIV.] 
COLOMBO, MAY .st, 1895. 
[No. 11. 
A TRIP TO THE HORTON PLAINS 
AND NEW GAL WAY DISTRICT. 
HORTO\ PLAINS REVISITED. 
0 the city toiler no greater 
boon can come at this season 
of the year, than to ex- 
change the burning heat of 
Colombo for the fresh, ccol, 
air of the hills. The transfer 
from a Fort office to an im- 
provised " sanctum " in a 
cottage 6,300 feet above sea-level is truly invigor- 
ating and lifegiving. With an outlook on some 
of our grandest forest-clad hills .and sur- 
rmnded by flowery fragrance, work with the 
pjn even, ought to be pleasant and easy ; but, 
alas, our portion— apart from such daily portions 
and reviews as could be intermittently run off — 
has been to consider and deal with a mass 
of " Statistics" and prepare them for incorporation 
in a forthcoming volume, as well as in many 
ot'ier dry, but necessary, ways, to sum up the 
present condition and | respects of the Colony 
Not even the sight of 
The swan upon St. Mary's Laki 
Fioats double, sw.tn and shadow, — 
could drive poetry into such an occupation. But 
tlure c.uue an interlude with the welcome 
proposal to repeat a visit to Hortou Plains, by 
a new and much easier route than the one we 
had travelled by 0:1 our first visit some 17 years 
a^o. We had, then, for companions the "Senior 
Editor" and the energetic young Superintendent 
in PortSWOOd, whose pistol and pony both did 
eood service in different ways. We started 
from the oil Nuwara Eliya Resfcliouse on 
a Jauuary morning, and the shades of even- 
ing .vere falling before we reached the old 
lie st house on the top of an exposed knoll at 
lh; farther end of the Plains. But we had not 
only walked most of the 18 or 20 miles, but 
had freely " discoursed," rested, and botanized 
after a limited fashion, by the way. The roll- 
ing p'atanas in contrast with forest-clad " sholas" 
and knolls, and the clear waters of the winding 
Am^ewela and Elk Plains streams were specially 
enjoyed; the famous Kandyan "ella" redis- 
covered by Mr. John Bailey, when Assistant 
Agent for Uva, and Mr. Wni. ("Billy") Hall, 
p.w.c, with the tunnel at Padipola (the only 
one of native construction) was a special object 
of interest ; and no less were the magnificent 
views as we climbed the side of Totapola until 
.at a vantage point 1,000 feet higher we had a 
splendid panorama of the Nuwara Eliya t>wn 
and plains, laid out as if at our feet. These, 
an I many more incidents of the " long ago ," 
came back to us with the mention of Horton 
Plains, and although in planning the excursion, 
one could not help thinking, — 
O for the touch of a vaivish'd hand 
And the sound of a voice that is still ; — 
yet one could not long be dull in the midst of 
glad young voices and eager anticipations ; and 
the opportunity for clearing the cobwebs from 
the brain with a good bit of pedestrian work and 
elinibing in our highest regions, was irresistible. 
From Nuwara Eliya we drove to Nanuoya to 
catch the early morning train to Ohiya. This 
train carries visitors from Nuwara Eliya (as 
well as night travellers from Colombo) to Ban- 
darawela, in time for a late breakfast that is 
when there is no interruption from "slips" — 
and our train had such a party from the 
Sanatarium including Mr. E. T. IVlmege. 
After seven years' absence from the island, 
Mr. Delmege saw great changes in the plant- 
ing districts, and, of course, this was his first 
trip <>n the Cfva line. Cliiul.ing through Ab- 
botsford and the Corge estates, the outlook 
from Croat Western to the Hopats, backed 
