PEEPARING FOE EEBELLIOK. 
‘‘Well/’ says the friend, “I see it is so, but 
what has a scarcity of salt to do with encouraging 
your idea of a rising taking place amongst the natives 
“It has everything to do withit, ”s 'ys the military 
gentleman : “they are taking a lesson from past ex- 
E erience, for, during the last insurrection, there can 
e no manner of doubt, the Kandyans were in a 
great measure brought up, from want of salt. As 
this necessary of life is wholly transmitted up-country, 
from the sea- coast towns, of course it was not a 
very difficult matter to stop the general supply. They 
have taken a lesson out of the leaf of the past : 
they are purchasing and storing up salt. ’ ’ On arriv, 
ing at the resthouse, the horsekeeper was sent 
out to the bazar to purchase a measure of salt. 
He was away a very long time, and at last came 
back without it, saying that such a thing was ’not 
to be had in all the bazars ! “It is plain enough 
now,” says the militarv gentleman, “there must be 
no time lost in informing Grovernment of this state 
of matters. ” Another premonitory sign of the time 
was that the planters in differeat districts found it 
impossible to purchase paddy (rice in husk) for 
their horses. There was no paddy anywhere, at least 
money could not buy i;. I’he reason of this was, 
thaf, in anticipation of a general insurrection, the 
villagers had stored away and concealed all their 
spare paddy, meant, of course, as food for them- 
selves, during a period of emergency, for, as is v/ell- 
known at the present day, the villagers pound up 
their own paddy into rice, for their own consump- 
tion. Hot only this, but a large quantity is kept 
in store for seed, in case of tire fai'ure or short- 
coming of any year’s crop : in fact, a reserve seed 
supply. Thus, with a good stock of paddy and salt 
in their mountain homes, they could bid defiance to 
any attempt to reduce tbein by calling oflf food sup- 
plies from the low-country. A good stock of paddy 
and salt to them w'as similar to laying in a largo 
supply of provisitms in a town or fort, which the 
inhabitants expected was to be ’aid under a siege or 
blockade. Large numbers of villagers commenced to 
flock into Kandy, on various pretences, and it waa 
quite evident that som thing unusual was in con- 
templation ; a number of planters, who were in town 
on private business were detained there by the 
Government to help, if need be in preserving the 
public security. Sentry guard was kept at the bank 
and public offices. The military force in the Island 
being totally inadequate to meet an emergency like 
this ; telegrams were sent to Madras for military 
reinforcements to be forwarded, without delay, from 
