Oct. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
24B 
been sailing in these waters for many years the 
preeipitous top of the mount, which appears as 
sliarp as a needle, affords a sign for steerin,u tlieit 
ships, but they have never observed tlie celebrated 
shadow from shipboard. I searched in vain in 
stores where Indian and Ceylon photoj^raj^hs are 
kept for views of the summit with the footprint 
and the temples built there, and decided to take 
the views myself. 
Whoever gazes from below at tlie lofty peak > 
rising abruptly like an Indian Matterhorn from 
the towering nia!=:..vs of Ceylon, considers the ascent 
much more ditfi' n't ihan it really is. Not only 
do numerous pilgrims climb to the summit, but 
Europeans make the ascent every year ; some of 
these, however, would hardly care to repeat it. 
By dauntless enterprise a railway has be^n 
built in the mountains of Ceylon, and iro^ 
HattoD, one of its stations, a convenient footpath 
leads, a distance of about 20 kilometres, to the 
inn in Maskeliya, which is situsited in a valley 
at the foot of Adam's Peak. From here I started 
at midnight, accompinied by two guides and 
lantern bearers, and reached the Peak three hours 
later by gradual ascent. The climbing of the bare 
steep granite rock, which has a height of 2,260 
metres, is less dangerous than fatiguing. In the 
upper part, in order to overcome the worst ob- 
stacles, series oi steps have been cut in the naked 
rock and iron chains are strung along, similar to 
those on the Matterhorn. 
At 6 o'clock in the morning we reached the sum- 
mit. The plateau, which may have a circumfer- 
ence of one hundred steps, is inclosed by a wall 
breast high. Inside are a few low huts for the 
priests of Buddha and the pilgrims. From the 
centre of the plateau rises the granite rock 20 
metres higher still, and on its very apex stands a 
email temple, open on all sides, in which the 
celebrated footprint is to be seen. This is here 
represented for the first time. (See illustration.) It 
requires a great deal of imagination to view this 
.depression in the rock as tlie print of a human 
foot. The individual must have been of gigantic 
stature, for the length of the footprint, according 
to my measurement, amounts to 1.40 metres and 
the width 65 centimeters. On the south side 
stands a small altar on which the priests and 
pilgiims at sunrise deposit delicate white frangi- 
pani blossoms and grains of rice, afterwards 
kneeling with clasped hands and offering their 
prayers. 
At 18 minutes past 6 o'clock a priest called my 
attention to the splendid disc of the sun, which 
appeared in the east in a saddle of the highest 
mountain of Ceylon, the Pedrotalagala. Oppo- 
site, on the west side, was seen the peculiar 
sharply defined shadow of Adam's Peak in magni- 
ficent grandeur. Like a dark pyramid of mist, 
it stood out from the gray background, which 
gradually became brighter. The higher the sun 
rose the lower the shadow sank, until finally it 
lay deep on the mountains at our feet. In two 
hours and a half after sunrise it faded away. 
This phenomenon is so peculiar and majestic that 
it keep3 one from paying full attention to the 
splendid view presented from this lofty peak in 
every direction over this tropical island, soexira- 
ordiuarily blessed. It was strange that half an 
hour after sunrise there ai)peared by the side of 
the principal shadow of the mount two others, 
paler, starting from the top and lower down 
diverging in direction ; these shadows disappeared 
gradually. 
The descent under the scorching rays of the 
tropical sun proved very troublesome ; here and 
there we passed over smooth granite walls, .steep 
places of G.5deg. Yet the rare .spectacle of naiui al 
beauty was so grand and unique that I can well 
recommend the ascent of Adam's Peak to every 
tourist. 'I'here is more occasion to visit tills peak 
than the sacred moiiiitain of the .Ja|iaiiese, the 
Fujiyama. — For our illustrations and the accom- 
panying description we are indebted to " Illusirir 
Zeitnng, 
UPPER. UVA, CEYLON, AS A STATION 
FOR BRITISH TROOPS. 
By Anophulks. 
[In the " United Service Magazine,''] 
The transport by sea of a large body of troops 
after the e.xperience of the South Aftican War 
e.Kcites little comment and with our extensive 
mercantile marine now presents comparatively few 
difficulties, provided careful arrangements have 
been previously made. Tiie eass and celeiity 
with whicli the British troops were despatched from 
India to Natal was a momentous movement, the 
wide-reaching consequences of which are not yet, 
perhaps, fully appreciated. But it is well known 
in military circles that the Indian contingent 
prevented the Boers on the outbreak of hostilities 
from carrying their victorious arms to the Indian 
Ocean. At the same time it is fully recognised 
in the same circles that the Indian Government 
was reducing the number of white troops to an 
extent which would be dangerous or impracticable 
if an unrulj native population or harrassed frontier 
had been engagint; its attention. 
In the recent Chinese troubles (and further 
troubles in the near future are likely to again 
arise) the Indian Government was called upon for 
aid ; thus in our last two campaigns India has on 
each occasion been called upon for troops, and on 
each occasion she has gallantly responded to the 
call. It is the opinion of all thouglitful men that 
to rely on India for troops in an emergency is a 
dangerous proceeding. More particularly at the 
present time when our restless Northern neighbour 
is pursuing his usual tactics in Manchuria and 
Thibet. From her geographical position India is 
admirably situated to deal with any crisis in 
the Oriental region ; on the one hand she can 
strike rapidly to the west, and other equally 
rapidly to the east ; but when by so doing she 
renders herself open to attack, and a staggering 
blow delivered to her would have such far- 
reaching consequences, it is a serious matter 
to v^eaken her unless the point at issue 
is one of vital moment. It is with diffidence that 
I, a non batant, mention the word strategy or 
deal event in a cursory manner with questions of 
that military science ; but I think even a layman 
can grasp the strategical importance of the 
geographical position of India when he considers 
that officers still on the active list have seen 
India sending troops to Persia, Cyprus, Egypt, 
the Soudan, the Cape and China more than once. 
Granted that she has done this with impunity in 
the past, it by no means follows that io would 
be a goo.l pola^y to do so in the future. What 
would have been the condition of Natal, and 
indeed the state of affairs at the Cape at the 
