THE OLD RAMBODA RESTHOUSE. 
site where it stands now. It was kept by a man 
named Cooper and his wife. He had some employ- 
ment on a neighbouring estate, and his wife looked 
after the resthouse. I recollect that we used sometimes » 
to walk to this resthouse on a Sunday to have ^ 
a treat for tiffin, which was bread and cheese and a J i - 
bottle of beer. We sometimes^" tried hard for leave ^ 
to take away even half a loaf, but it would not p J ^ ^ 
do, bread was too precious. So we had to go home ^ ’ ''f 
to our or hard biscuit. Now, only fancy any of ^ ^ 
the present generation of planters walking five miles _;f 
to the Ramboda resthouse, in order to have a treat 
in the way of food or refreshments ! So far as my 
later experience served, they would rather walk that 
distance to keep clear of it, and enjoy the more 
genial hospitalities of some neighbouring bungalow. Mrs. 
Stainton also, about this time, for a short period, 
kept the resthouse, but afterwards removed to 
Kandy, where the hotel was long noted for 
supplying the best and best-cooked food in the 
town. There was then a very dangerous bridge over 
the Girinda El a, a little on the Pussellawa side 
of Ramboda : above was a high waterfall over a 
steep ledge of rock, below the same ; ihe crossing 
for the road seemed to be either a natural or arti- 
ficial step in the rock. On the step, heavy blocks of 
stones were set, on the top of which slab rocks 
were laid, without any railings or parapet. The 
width w^as just about sufficient to allow a cart to 
pass, so that above and below the bridge were per- 
pendicular waterfalls. I recollect crossing this 
bridge in the dark one night, without knowing it. 
Being aware that it might be close at hand from 
the noise of the water, the stick, or rather perhaps 
the invariable paper umbrella, was carefully used as 
a feeler, when it struck me that the sound of 
the fall seemed lessening, and behind me, and so it 
was. I might have been walking across on the very 
edge of the slab rock, or my foot might hsv# 
been pastially over it. I might well it is no 
tise thinking what might have been. Why don’t 
they put railings on the edge of the bridge. If 
the Governor or the Bishop tumbles over, it will 
then be done, but I do not think there was » / ^ \ 
Bishop then. That was, at least, one respect in which ! H j 
“the olden days were better than these.” What ii I * / 
the fate of the Ramboda church and graveyard ? ^ / 
The former used to be in a very dilapidated state, and^ 
if extensive and expensive repairs have not been 
gone into, ifc must have tumbled down. The graveyard 
used to be very neglected, thoma and jungle encroach- 
ing all around. 
