88 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
ancient and modem art. Before we quitted Ceylon, 
however, we visited the Fort de Galle, one of the 
most interesting objects on the island. It is of con- 
siderable extent, with several excellent and substan- 
tial buildings, and many wealthy residents. During 
our stay in this neighbourhood, a circumstance oc- 
curred within a few miles of the fort, which, I trust, 
will not be considered out of place in these pages. 
A small body of sepoys stationed at an outpost to 
protect a granary, containing a large quantity of rice, 
was suddenly removed, in order to quiet some un- 
ruly villagers, a few miles distant, who had set the 
authorities at defiance. Two of our party happened 
to be on the spot at the moment. No sooner had 
the sepoys withdrawn, than a herd of wild elephants, 
which had been long noticed in the neighbourhood, 
made their appearance in front of the granary. They 
had been preceded by a scout, which returned to the 
herd, and, having no doubt satisfied them, in a lan- 
guage which to them needed no interpreter, that the 
coast was clear, they advanced at a brisk pace towards 
the building. When they arrived within a few yards 
of it, quite in martial order, they made a sudden 
stand, and began deliberately to reconnoitre the ob- 
ject of their attack. Nothing could be more wary and 
methodical than their proceedings. The walls of the 
granary were of solid brickwork, very thick, and the 
only opening into the building was in the centre of 
the terraced roof, to which the ascent was by a ladder. 
On the approach of the elephants, the two astonished 
spectators clambered up into a lofty banyan tree, in 
order to escape mischief. The conduct of the four- 
