432 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
enjoyed here was incredible. However, the next day I deter¬ 
mined on the advice of Dr. Thwaites to make a tour up to the 
mountain localities proper, in order there to get a better sight of 
the lichen flora of Ceylon. 
I now travelled south partly by rail, partly by coach, until in 
the evening I found myself lodged at a ‘ rest-house ’ at Ram- 
bodde, a thousand metres above the sea, at about the same height 
accordingly as that at which trees cease to grow in southern 
Norway. This tropical mountain land reminds one a little, in 
respect of the contours of the landscape, of the fells of Norway. 
Here too are found league-long deep valleys, surrounded by 
high mountain summits and ranges with outlines sharply 
marked against the horizon. But here they were everywhere 
overgrown with coffee bushes, or possibly with cinchona plants. 
The mountain slopes were so laid bare from the bottom all the 
way up that scarce a tree was left in sight; everywhere so far as 
the eye could reach only coffee. 
“ Next day, attended by a Singhalese, I went, or to speak more 
correctly, climbed farther up the steep coffee plantations. At a 
height of 1,300 metres above the sea coffee ceases to grow, and 
we now found some not very extensive tea plantations, and above 
these the primitive forest commences. At a height of 1,900 
metres above the sea there is an extensive open plateau. Up 
here there is a not inconsiderable place, Novara Elliya, where 
the governor has a residence, and part of the troops are in 
barracks during the summer heat. One of the mountains 
which surround this plateau is Pedrotalegalla, the loftiest 
mountain of Ceylon, which reaches a height of 2,500 metres 
above the sea. 
I have ascended not so few mountains, but of none has the 
ascent been so easy as of this, for a broad footpath ran all the 
way to the top. Without this path the ascent had been impos¬ 
sible, for an hour’s time would have been required for every foot 
made good through the jungle, so closely is the ground under 
the lofty trees covered to the top of the mountain with bushes, 
creepers, or the bamboo. In the evening I returned to my 
former night-quarters, where I slept well after a walk of 
thirty-six English miles. 
‘‘As I felt myself altogether unable the following day to make 
any further excursion on foot, I travelled back to Peradeniya by 
mail-coach. During this journey I had as my travelling com¬ 
panion a Singhalese, whom it was a special pleasure to see at 
close quarters. One of his big toes was ornamented with a 
broad ring of silver, both his ears were pierced above, and 
