( 50 ) 
fivai Aryan colonists came from the north- 
west of [ndia.— 3. Liinofuistic grounds also 
prove that Sinhalese has n prakrit dialect 
of north-west India as an antecedent : (a) 
Sinhalese is closely allied to Pali. (6) It 
does not however go back to the Pali of 
the Buddhist books, but to a popular 
dialect closely connected therewitli. (c) 
Sinhalese is allied to the Maharastrl. pra- 
krit, even more closely than to Pali, (d) 
Its basis however shows itself in many 
points more ancient than Maharastrl. (e) 
Moreover the comparison with the modern 
Indo-Aryan popular languages indicates for 
Sinhalese its place in the western group of 
dialects, and exhibits Sindhi GujaratI and 
especially Marathi as the most nearly allied 
languages." An English translation of this 
valuable work would be welcomed by scliolars 
in Ceylon, We are glad to notice that 
Prof. Geiger promises us two further works, 
— one on the Maldive language and the other 
on the Veddah dialect. We shall await 
these with much interest. 
TROUT FISHING IN CEYLON. 
All early moi-ning start and an hour's ride in the 
train, throng'.i some of the most beautiful scenery 
in the world, brought us to Ohiya station. From 
th6re the path leads oue through jangle for the 
first two miles, an ascent of about two thousand feet to 
the Horton Plains, Another half hour and we catch 
first sis<h'o of the stream, for here it cannot be 
called more, bounded in as it is by high grass and 
ferns, and in places unfishable where the rhododen- 
drons overhang. They are in flower ju.st now, a 
lovely crimson, but although lovely to look at, from 
a fisherman's point of view they are the curse of 
the place. Get your east fairly fixed in one, then 
yon realise for the first time how tough a rhodo- 
dendron leaf can be. Half ao hour's smoke on the 
bank while your faithful coolie is undoing the tangle 
is about the only remedy. We are soon at work 
however, and about one hundred yards lower down 
I see my friend V has hooked the first fish of 
the day. It has given him excellent sp> rt, but has 
to be returned to the water, being just under eleven 
inches, which is the regulation size. We rise se- 
veral more in this top water, but they are insecurely 
hooked owing to the difficulty in striking. Rhodo- 
dendrons again ! As we get lower down the water be- 
comes more open, and we each get a nice fish of about 
one pound. 
After two hour's fishing we meet and have a look 
at our respective catches. V has got three, from 
oae pound to one and three quarters, and has re- 
turned as many more, while I also have three aver- 
aging one and a half pound, and have returned 
one. Things are looking well for us and we look 
forward with the keenness of the fisherman to the 
rest of the day. The water is as clear as gin, the 
sky a most lovely blue with occasional fleecy clouds 
blown across from the north-east, and the air has a 
freshness that recalls Scotland. We are only a few 
degrees north of the Equator, but our elevation is 
7,200 feet above the sea, and that accounts for it. 
, While we are having our rest an 3 sandwiches 
we take a look round at the scenery. The plains 
stretch away to right and left, dotted all over with 
rhododendrons ; this is the only tree that grows it; 
.this black Patna soil. Yet here flowers grow in 
profusion, orchids, ground orchids, and most lovely of 
all, gentian of the deepest royal blue and golden 
centre. Here also grows a bamboo, the smallest in 
the world. It only reaches a height of from one 
tci two feet. There are many more specimens of 
plant life of interest to those of a more botanical 
bent. The waving grass of the Patna gives place to 
stretches of thick jungle. 
Oar meal over, we set to work again. The next 
mile of water is, perhaps, the best bit on the river. 
V starts at ths Black Bridge, while I go down 
lower. He begins at once and soon has a nice 
trout of three quarters of a pound on the bank. 
Two or thiee casts later, in almost the same place, 
a rise and a rush sies him into another. This time 
a big fish from the way in wLich he sails slowly 
up and down the pool, palling hard, but never 
showing himself. He begins to feel the strain, 
however, and is being slowly drawn to the bank, 
carefully netted and grassed— a perfect beauty in 
splendid condition, turning the scale .it two pounds 
ten ounces. While V has been doing so well I 
have not been idle, one of two pounds and one of 
one and three quarters, the latter has given splendid 
sport, repeated rushes, and at the end of each leips 
in the air two feet out of water. He reminds one 
more of a sea trout than a brown, but out here the 
smaller fish generally give the better sport. Large 
fish, as a rule, content themselves with a feeble 
rush or two or sulking at the bottom, and are soon 
beguiled into the net. There are exceptions, how- 
ever, as not unfrequently a trout more wary than 
the rest succeeds in making good his escape by 
twiuiug your cast round some sunken root or snag. From 
this all your gentle persuasion fails to dislodge him 
and results in loss of cast and fly. 
We are now at the Red Bridge, below the Rest 
House, and here the river which has gradually been 
gathering in size, begins to assume a different as- 
pect. A long, deep stretch, terminating in a series 
of water-falls and rocky pools brings Ud to Chimney 
and Atherton's Pool, a huge piece of water nearly 
half a mile long and in places one hundred yardia 
across. That the smaller stream two miles above 
should have reached such large dimensions here, 
seems incredible, there being no tributaries, but such 
is the case. This piece of lake-like water teems 
with good fish, but they are very hard to move and 
after having fished it carefully, we have to confess 
to neither of us having had a rise. Another small 
waterfall takes us to the Round Pool ; this also con- 
tains big fish, one having been seen sporting him- 
self of between seven and eight pounds. I rise and 
hock a fish here, which after an exciting time, owing 
to the weeds being so thick, I manage to creel : a 
pi-etty trout of just one pound. The river here 
takes a turn at right angles, and for the next mile 
or so we have a fine stretch of water consisting of 
long deep pools and still runs. Yet for some reason 
or another we fail to make any addition to our 
catch ; the few we do rise coming short, and in a 
half-hearted way that is most annoying. 
We decide to wait and see what the evening may 
do for us. The sun is getting low and nearly off 
the water, the hills here rising somewhat abruptly. 
We are resting beside a big pool, and have not 
long to wait before we see a rise, and another, 
and then another, and soon it becomes general. 
Bat they are too far out for our light ten-foot 
rods, and appear to be small, so we leave them to 
their enjoyment and come to an ideal piece of water, 
a steep bank covered with ferns and bashes on the 
far side. First cast V has hooked his fish at the 
top of the run and tries to keep him out of the 
pool, but he is too lusty, and makes the reel scream 
as he dashes away taking out some twenty yards of 
line. From his fighting powers he must be a heavy 
fish ; but no, he has shown himself, and will not 
be more than oue and half pound. He is not tired 
yet, however, and takes one or two leaps, and a few 
more rushes which get shorter and shorter and he 
is safely landed nearly two pounds, a real fighter, 
the capture of which lingers long in the mem- 
ory. Meanwhile, I have been fishing over a rapii 
rush of water with a stony and rock-strewn bed, 
whence out rush two fishes at my fly. 1 strike some- 
