A WOULD-BE ESTATE PKOPBIETOE OF THE 
OLDEN TIME. 
of the trees, uttering loud cries — boo, boo, boo, choo 
— as if in mockery and derision of the party below. 
But our traveller’s attention was now taken up with 
something of more importance than a troop of monkeys : 
the ground was getting rugged and steep, the path- 
way narrow, and it was scarcely safe to ride any longer. 
The path rounded a huge projecting rock; against this 
rock his leg was very much bruised, and in attempt- 
ing to ease it by swaying to the other side, he nearly 
overbalanced himself- If he had, he would have tumbled 
over a steep declivity into a torrent roaring in the 
dark-shadowmd depths below. He got nervous, and said 
be would dismount and proceed on foot. So the pony 
was tethered to a tree, some bambu leaves cut for 
his food, of which the horse is very fond, and 
so left to enjoy himself, while the rider and his 
attendants proceeded on their journey of exploration. 
For some distance they managed to get along very fairly, 
and one of the guides said if the path kept as good 
as this they would be at the land in half an hour. 
On hearing this Mr Diddler plucked up spirits and 
pushed on. First, on descending a declivity he missed his 
footing, stumbled and slid down over t‘he smooth 
face oi a rock, and when he reached the bottom found that 
the seat of his trousers was gone, also the heels and soles 
of his shoes; but personally he had received no other dam- 
age, He was quite ready to proceed, if it were not that the 
soles of his shoes were gone; what was to be done? 
His guides, without saying a word, drew their short 
knives from their belts, without which no Sinhalese tra- 
vels in the jungle, cut two pieces of bark out of the 
stem of a tree, neatly shaped them into the forms 
of the sole of a shoe, and applied them to Mr Diddler’s 
feet. They asked him for his handkerchief, and rolled 
it round and round the sole and upper part of the 
foot, examined it, and said “ Hondayi^ One of them 
then unwound a red handkerchief that was tied round 
his head, and applied it in the same way to the other 
foot, and our traveller was shod with this rude and 
rustic shoeing. He resumed his journey and managed 
to get along very well, so long as the ground 
was comparatively smooth and level, but at last they 
entered upon broken land, and the path lay along 
the top of the steep descents. Mr Diddler picked 
his way with great care and caution ; a huge dun 
tree, with projecting roots, blocked up the way, till 
there was just room to pass. He forgot altogether the 
precipice below, and stepped rashly on one of the glazed 
projecting roots ; the soles of his temporary shoes 
having also bacome smooth, he slipped and suddenly 
