390 
Journal of the Embassy 
water proved afterwards of the highest utility, on account of 
our sick ; as several of our men, and myself among the rest, 
were attacked with violent dysenteries and fluxes while we en- 
camped here. 
25th. Sent back two companies of the Malays to relieve the 
Sepoys wlio had been left to cover the guns. A detachment 
of the other troops and the corps of pioneers returned with 
them to assist in the difficult work of getting the artillery for- 
ward ; for although each gun had a number of bullocks yoked 
to it, they required not a few men to enable them to make 
their way through the ravines and steeps. In the Carnatic and 
different parts of the continent of India, elephants are em- 
ployed to obviate any difficulties of this sort which may arise 
on a march. It is astonishing to observe the sagacity of those 
animals, who, on observing a gun stuck fast in a rut, or a 
stop made on meeting with a difficult ascent, will come and ren- 
der their assistance, by lifting up the wheel with their trunk, or 
by placing their forehead to the hinder part of the carriage and 
pushing it along. Such assistance was very much wanted on 
our present march, as the bullocks of Ceylon are much inferiar 
both in size and strength to those of the continent, nor can 
the united force of a number of those smaller animals be applied 
so as to' produce an effect equal to a few of those larger and 
better trained oxen. About two o’clock the artillery came up 
and formed on the right of the tents occupied by the Euro- 
pean troops. The weather for the last two days was uncom- 
monly hot, the thermometer being to-day as high as 102'^ at 
noon. 
26th. Remained in our encampment. A number of the coolies 
supplied by the inoodeliers around Columbo, Nigunibo, and Cal- 
