WILD BEES, 
to water, or rather to #et their feet. Placing the 
tumbler or lamp, already described, into a wash-hand! 
basin, water was poured into the basin to within ah 
inch of the top of the tumbler, so that the tumbler 
light appeared as an island surrounded by water. The 
^'ats congregated round the bisin, peered over the rim, 
but none would cross the water, and the light was 
safe. However, one morning an adventurous one was 
found drowned in the basin.; in taking obse’*vations 
he had slipped in, and could nob get out. Wild bees 
are plentiful : from Jan tary to March they cist off their 
swarms; and one is a are of the approach of a swarm 
by the distant buzz. Ti-e swarms frequently make 
temporary settlements on branches of trees, not far 
from the ground, where they hang like a huge 
inverted sui/ar-loaf, waving to and fro with the motion 
of the branch. They are quite harmless if untouched: 
SM) much so, that one can with safety go close up to 
tlie swann and inspect it. They' are Hrger in size 
tlian the English bee. In the swarming season the,.^ ^ 
old r danger is in coming in contict wnth their clus- 4'a»!^ 
teriiig swarms. Thus — once when passing down tlie ^ 
bed of a river during the dry season, the run of 
water l)eing almost gone, and standing in deep pools 
ill the bed of rock, with thick jangle on each side, 
this of course formed an easy cool pathway. While 
passing along, looking at my feet to avoid the water ' 
pools, I forget my bead, which suddenly bumped agairist 
an overbangi'ig swrirm of bees. Of course the bees 
were all in a buzz, and so was I, and there was nothing 
for it but to outrun them, which was eventually done, but 
I was verv much stung, and my face was swolbm for 
days afterwards. Another lesson in jungle life — take care 
of your head as well as your feet ; or rather, while 
your feet are safe, take care they don’t carry you 
into danger. 
CHAPTER II. 
Mo.NEY, Pi,ESTHOUSE3, TRANSPORT, AND OlD SoLDIERS. 
The modern S37'stem of procuring money for payment 
of CO dies, by me ms nf chetties , was then unknov^n. We 
had not then the comfoTFaBTe plan of sending a message 
to the money-r'ealer, that you required a c rtain amount 
on a specified day at a ffxed hour, you having nothing to 
do but sit at the verandah table, see the cash counted 
out, and write out a cheque for the amount, including 
commission. Then, we had to make a periodical visit to 
Kandy for the cash. Notice was given the day before 
for coolies to hold themselves lu readiness for (he 
