AMATEUE EOAD-TRACING. 
beries and garden grounds, for which occupation he 
seemed to have a natural taste and talent. He had 
planted out fruit trees, shrubs and flowers from all 
parts of the world, he had made periodical visits to 
the Botanical Gardens at Peradeiiiya, until he could 
obtain nothing new even there ; he had written to 
friends in China and South America, and, no doubt, 
numerous mysterious, looking boxes, partially covered 
with glass, were now tumbling about over the salt sea 
foam, and so he was generally busy getting the ground 
in order for some expected arrival, some tree, plant, 
or flower, hitherto unknown in the Island, He very 
seldom visited, or had any visitors ; during the heat 
of the day he was busy drawing out plans of his pro» 
jected buildings, tracing out roads on paper, which traces 
were eventually to be put into the hands of Mr. 
Smith, his superintendent, with instructions practically 
to carry out the work, which it was not at. all times 
possible to do, as the chief essential in road tracing 
is first to take a careful look over the ‘‘lay of land,” 
second suit your trace as far as possible to the nature 
of the ground, with respect to the obstacles in the 
way, and how to avoid them, such as rocks, precipices, 
steep banks of streams. Mr. Easy having, quite to 
his own satisfaction, completed the trace of a road, on 
paper, would request the attendance of Mr. Smith, 
in order that a thorough explanation might be gone 
into, personally. Into the room which he used for an 
office Mr. Smith was ushered, and all the details of 
the work fully commented on, and instructions given 
that the trace was to be commenced and completed 
the next day. Mr. Smith departed with the sketch 
trace in his pocket, mumbling something which sounded 
very like, “ I just wish I had him up the new clear- 
ing in his pyjaaias and red slippers.” About noon next 
day Mr. Smith called at his proprietor’s bungalow, his 
face and hands so blackened with charcoal, his clothes 
torn and dirty, minus one shoe, and altogether present* 
ing such an unusual appearance, that, to use a com- 
mon expression, “ his own mother would not have 
known him.” He represented to his employer, 
that it was impossible to carry out his trace, 
that it just appeared as if purposely it had 
been made to cross right through large boulders, over 
precipices, and as for the crossing of streams, 
it was impossible to do so, in the usual way, by what 
is called paved crossings, the banks were so steep'and 
rugged that nothing less than a suspension bridge 
would be requirM- But Mr. Easy poohpoohed the 
whole report : — There is plenty of powder in the 
store, get out your jumpers, blast off all obstructions. 
And, by the bye, Mr. Smith, just-go aw'ay up to the 
