KANDY IN EARLY PLANTING DAYS. 
tion — previous to which, however, he was discovered 
not to be dead, but to be dead-drunk. Upon smell- 
ing the empty soda-water bottles the murder was 
out ’’ — and it may merely be added, tliere was no 
further admission of soda-water. 
The original and then only hotel was “The Royal,” 
kept by Segar^ which, in a previous chapter, has 
already been mentioned. Subsequently various small 
opposition ones were started : one, in one of the cross 
streets from “The Royal,” by a man named Jones, 
another in Trincomalee street, and various other places* 
aa time wore on. But they did not seem to succeed, 
and gradually died out. What old planter is there who 
does not remember “Hamilton's Stables'? There in the 
early morning and late evening friends were sure to 
meet, either looking after their horse-flesh, which they 
preferred stabling at “Hamilton’s” to the hotel pre- 
mises — they were sure to be well looked after there 
and by their own horsekeepera too, who would not have 
been allowed to gad about the bazars until their work 
was done and their charge properly attended to — or, 
being in town, possibly having come in for the purpose 
of trying an investment in horse-flesh, they were 
looking after a nag, of which, generally, there were 
alwaj^s some for sale at the stables, or, if not, Mr. 
J.*H. Hamilton was the man to find one to suit. A 
good judge of a horse was he, and it used to be said 
of him, tell Mr. Hamilton implicitly, tell him the 
sort of animal you want, at about what price— -put 
yourself entirely in his hands, and tell him so — you 
will have no cause to regret it, he will suit you 
well and honestly well. But try and do a bargain 
yourself, right or wrong, be or pretend to be a knowing 
hand, an amateur jockey, find out the bad qualities 
of the animal, exaggerate them, and be blind to or 
depreciate the good, Mr. Hamilton would quietty let 
you alone and “get the better of you The shoeing 
at his forge was' always considered infinitely better 
than that done anywhere else, so much so that many 
planters deferred having their horses shod, even al- 
though they were very much in need, until they 
came to Kandy ; better in every way, they were well 
fixed and clinched, and seldom came off, no light 
consideration to the planter who, in the event of 
losing a horse-shoe, might have to send the animal 
some twenty, thirty, or fo ty miles to have it re- 
placed, causing no small expense and loss of the 
animal’s services, possibly just when he was parti. 
* Afterwards a planter in bogawaiitalawa, and driiWii- 
ed in a river above Baiangoda a few years ago.— 
Ed, C. 0. 
