THE BOX COOLY, 
which was, “ Lots of grub here, Friday nighfc with 
you, I suppose. Come over and lend us a hand to eat 
it up, otherwise it will just fall a prey to tbie 
capacious and rapacious maws of the boys.” During 
the holiday season, bungalow after bungalow was 
visited, in different districts, just under the same 
eircumstances, as have already been described. Tired 
of lounging about our friend’s bungalow, we would go 
out with him to the works, just to see, what we saw 
every day at home, coffee and weeds, pruning and 
weeding, with this difference that as we took no in- 
terest in the works, of course, to say the least, they 
were not interesting, we would even retire, and sit 
under the shape of a rock, until •ur friend was ready 
on his return to the bungalow — certainly not a very 
lively way of spending the holidays. We w^ere dis- 
gusted with our holidays, gave them up, and started 
on the return home, before our leave of absence was 
half expired. Down the old bridle path, from Amba- 
gamuwa and Dolosbage, rough and rugged it was in 
these times, and glad we were once more on emerg- 
ing into the high road, close to Gampola. It was 
raining, it always rained in Ambagamuwa, and we 
were wet through, on entering the verandah of the 
resthouse. Calling out for the cooly with the box 
of dry clothes, there was no response. He, no doubt, 
was sitting comfortable and dry in some wayside 
hut, bad even seen master pass, and had hidden 
both himself and the box, in a dark back corner ; after 
master had turned the corner, no doubt he looked out, 
to see if it was not going to be fair, and, as there 
seemed no present chance of it, be rolled himself up in 
his blanket, and went to sleep ! So, having called for a 
room, we strip off the saturated clothes, give them a good 
wring, until all the water is squeezed out, and, then — 
put them on again ; the heat of the body soon dries 
them now, or, if a streak of sunshine should burst 
out from behind the black clouds, a short stand out 
in his rays will finish the drying process. This is a 
somewhat brief outline of travelling in the jungle. 
In those times, we soon learned never to lose sight 
of the box cooly, with the change of clothes, espe^ 
daily never to leave him behind, and, if he was in 
advance, always to take care we did not pass him 
unawares ; we also learned, if possible, to have a 
clothes box of a peculiar shape, or colour, or with 
some easily discerned mark on it. So that, in passing 
the native boutiques, if the box cooly was lounging 
there, the box would immediately catch the eye, and 
bring us to a halt, for in no way was it safe to pass 
on, unless we saw the box cooly started, and passed 
