387 
to the Court of Candy, 
encampment lay a large body of the king’s troops, consisting, as 
we were informed, of seven thousand men, with some elephants. 
This body we never saw, as they kept a few miles a-head of 
us the whole way, and were cautious always to remain just 
out of our view. None of the officers were allowed to ap- 
proach them, or to have an opportunity of observing their 
numbers. I attempted to ascertain how far report had been 
correct in this point ; but although I contrived to pass several 
of their parties unmolested, I was forced to return without 
having effected my object, as prudence forbade me to venture 
farther alone against their inclinations. Beside the regular troops, 
the whole inhabitants of this part of the country were assem- 
bled in arms, and lay in every direction around us. Some of 
them often came among us ; and whenever any of us walked out 
from our encampment, we seldom failed to perceive the Can- 
dians skulking about the woods in our vicinity. The party 
sent out in the morning to make the roads were, obliged to 
return at one o’clock, on account of the rajn, thunder, and 
lightning which began to be as severe as yesterday. 
24th. About eleven o’clock struck our tents to proceed to 
Ruanelli, or, as it is called by the (^^ndians, the valley of 
precious stones, ten miles from Apolipitti. The day was most 
uncommonly hot, the thermometer being at 101'’. In addition 
to this, the road was exceedingly difficult and fatiguing. I^^had 
here an opportunity of observing that the Europeans bore the 
extreme heat much better than the natives. ^ The Bengal artii- 
lery-men exerted themselves with tlie greatest perseverance, and 
the soldiers of the 19th regiment were frequently obliged to 
assist in dragging the guns through the ravines and defiles. 
But such was the badness of the roads, that in spite of these 
3 D 2 
