589 
to (he Court of Candy, 
On our marcli we bad several beautiful and picturesque viewa 
of the country, which presented a charming variety of thickly 
wooded hills, intersected with delightful valleys. The grove 
where we encamped was about two miles in circumference,, 
being bounded on the west by a large, deep, and rapid branch 
of the Malivagonga, while in front towards Ruanelli, another 
branch ran in a south-east direction, winding in such a man- 
ner, that three sides of the grove were encompassed by 
water, while the fourth was enclosed by thick hedges of bam- 
boes and betel trees. This extensive cocoa-tree garden lies im- 
mediately under very steep and lofty hills, which command a 
most romantic view of the surrounding country. It forms part 
of the king’s own domains, and is the place where his elephants 
were usually kept and trained. 
Hitherto the river was navigable by our boats, and enabled 
us to have a large proportion of our stores and provisions con- 
veyed by water, as it run in such a direct line with our march 
that we encamped close to it banks. From Ruanelli up to 
Candy it is shallow, rocky, and much narrower, so that boats 
cannot proceed along it without great difficulty, and those only 
the small canoes of the natives. From Ruanelli to Columbo, 
the distance by water is about sixty miles ; and such was the 
rapidity of the current occasioned by the dreadfully heavy falls 
of rain which happened during our stay here, that a boat could 
go down to Columbo in eight hours, and for most part of the 
way the only exertion required of the boatmen was to keep 
clear of the rocks, stumps of trees, and sand-banks, which 
happened to obstruct their course ; while in returning to Rua- 
nelli, it usually took nine or ten days of excessive labour. 
The facility of the conveyance from hence to Columbo by 
