THE GAMPOLA FEPRY. 
on first. The box cooly is arrived, the rain ceased, 
and we leave the old Gampola resthonse and old Young. 
It was but a short way to the river side ; it must 
have rained heavily up-country, for the river is un^ 
usually swollen, up to the very top of its banks, the 
water tumbles and tosses, will it be safe to cross? 
All old residents must recollect the old ferry boat : 
just an old heavy rude raft, propelled by boatmen, 
with long poles when they would reach the ground, 
and with strong oars when they were in mid-stream. 
Many a weary time has been spent by the passing 
traveller at the Gampola ferry, for it always happened, 
just when likely you were in some particular hurry, that 
the ferry boat was on the other side of the river, 
or, what was even worse, had just started for the 
other side, 'a few minutes before you arrived at the 
i-iver’s edge. We get into the boat, pony, box, cooly, 
and all. The boatmen look grave and say, Bohoma 
watura,^^ (plenty water oi flood). We soon found 
out they had more than one reason for using this 
expression, amd the chief reason was not the very 
apparent one, but had a hidden meaning, which means, 
if you like to take the hint, a tip to the boatmen, 
which we sometimes did ; the amount was small, say 
a shilling at a time, and as he became knowm, in 
return for the expected tip, they, when they saw our 
arrival on the other side, would speedily cross, and 
take us across, while others, who never gave any 
tips, would have to wait the convenience of the boat- 
men, and sit under the shadow of the bank during 
a hot sun, or under their umbrella, if they had one, 
during a heavy rain. It was a very easy and speedy 
affair crossing the river when the water was low, or 
during the dry seas )n, but a very different matter 
altogether when the river was in “spate,” as it was 
now. 
The strong current, of course, was always strongest 
in the middle of the river, so the boat, or rather 
barge, starting from the Gampola side would be pro- 
pelled by long sticks, in the hands of the boatmen ; 
these sticks were pressed against the ground at the 
bottom of the river, and so the barge slowly moved 
up the stream, close to the edge of the land. One 
not aware of the dodge would be apt to suppose, 
they were not crossing the river, but slowly and 
^steadily going up the stream, which was the case. 
After having pulled a good way up, the boat would 
be sent right into the current in the middle of the 
river, and down we go, with the raging torrent ; 
the old pony stretches out his fore and hind legs, 
planted fairly on the planking, and looks very un- 
