fast as it received them. Over and across all
this watery wilderness huge masses of misty
vapour came rolling and tumbling along, as
though shrouding some titanic water-sprites
who had been keeping it up rather late the
night before, and were not quite sure of the
way home. One might have imagined, indeed,
that it was some universal washing-day, and
that the great lid of the national copper had
just been lifted up.

As the sun rose above the line of black
rocks in the distance, its rays lit up those
misty monsters of the flood, imparting to
them life-like tints, which gave them beauty,
and forms they had not known before. As
these sun-lit fogs rolled on, a thousand shapes
moved fitfully amongst them: troops of wild
horsemen; crystal palaces with gilded gates;
grim figures playing at bo-peep; hills, towns,
and castles; with many a ship at sea, and
lovely cottages in quiet sunny glades;—all
these, and more, seemed there. With the
sea-breeze, all that array of cloudy creatures
departed, leaving the air hot and stifling from
the reflection of the sun's rays in the endless
flood above me. But where were the poor
Singalese villagers, their families, and their
goods, amidst all this wreck? As I jogged
along, the cry of a child, the crowing of a cock,
the bark of a dog, floated across the ocean of
mist, but whence came they?  I looked to the
right and to the left. I strained my eyes
straightforward, but not a soul, or a feather,
or a snout, was to be seen. Presently the
fog cleared away, and I could see overhead
into the trees. There, chairs, tables, chatties,
paddy-pounders, boxes of clothes, children in
cots, men, women, cats, dogs, all were there
in one strange medley, curiously ensconsed
amongst the wide-spreading branches of the
trees. Over their heads, and on each side,
mats and cocoa-nut leaves were hung to keep
off rain and damp fogs, whilst against each
side of the tree was placed a thick notched
stick, which served as a ladder for the whole
party. Here and there canoes were to be
seen paddled across the fields to keep up
communication between the different villages.
It was a strange but desolate spectacle, and I
was glad to find myself, at last, free from the
watery neighbourhood, and once more riding
on terra firma.

During the heat of the next day I turned
aside to a shady green lane. A mile along this
quiet pathway I was tempted to rest myself at
the mouth of a dark-looking cave, by the side of
a running stream of beautiful water. Tying my
pony to a bush, I entered at the low archway,
and found myself at once in utter darkness;
but after a short time I began to distinguish
objects, and then saw, close to me, one whom
I should have least looked for in that strange,
desolate spot. It was a Chinese, tail and all.
My first idea was, as I looked at the figure
through the dim light of the cave, that it was
nothing more than a large China jar, or,
perhaps a huge tea-chest, left there by some
traveller; but, when the great, round face
relaxed into a grin, and the little pea-like
eyes winked, and the tail moved, and the
thick lips uttered broken English, I took a
proper view of the matter, and wished my
cavern acquaintance " good morning." I soon
gathered the occupation of See Chee in this
strange place; the cave we were then in was
one of the many in that neighbourhood, in
which a particular kind of swallow builds the
edible nests so highly prized by the Chinese
and Japanese for conversion into soups, stews,
and, for ought we know, into tarts. The
Chinaman told me, what I was scarcely
prepared to learn, that he rented from the Ceylon
Government the privilege to seek these birds'
nests in this district, for which he paid the
yearly sum of one hundred dollars, or seven
pounds, ten shillings. Procuring a chule, or
native torch, the Chinese nest-hunter showed
me long ledges of shelving rock at the top of
the cavern, whereon whole legions of curious
little gummy-like excrescences were
suspended; some were perfect nests, others were
in course of formation, and these latter I
learnt were the most valued; those which had
had the young birds reared in them being
indifferently thought of, and were only bought
by the lower orders of soup-makers. Having
rested myself and pony, I once more pushed
on for Ratnapoora, where I arrived, heated,
jaded, and dusty, by high noon.

A chattie bath seldom fails to refresh the
Indian traveller, and fit him for the
enjoyment of his meal. In the cool of the evening
I strolled out to watch the preparations for
the nightly festivities. These continue for
about a fortnight, chiefly after sunset, though
devotees may be seen laying their simple
offerings at the foot of the shrine during most
part of the afternoon. The little bazaar of
the town was alive with business; all vestiges
of its wonted filth and wretchedness were
hidden beneath long strips of white linen,
and garlands of cocoa-nut leaves and flowers
hung around by bands of bright red cloth.
Piles of tempting wares were there; beads,
bangles, and scarfs to decorate; rice, jaggery,
and sweetmeats to eat, and innumerable
liquors to drink, were placed in profuse
array. The streets and lanes poured forth
long strings of human beings, heated with the
sun, flushed with drink, and bedizened with
trumpery jewellery and mock finery. Poor
tillers of the soil; beggarly fishermen;
mendicant cinnamon peelers; half-starved coolies;
lean, sickly women, and poor, immature
children, passed onwards in the motley throng,
burying their every-day misery beneath the
savage mirth of a night or two at the Paraharra.

Following the living, dark stream, as closely
as the heat, dust, and strange odours would
allow me, I arrived, at length, near to the
Temple of Saman. The edifice, of which I
caught a distant glimpse, was half concealed
beneath the heavy luxuriant foliage of