



Produced by Garry Gill.  HTML version by Al Haines.









Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon


by

Samuel White Baker




CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Colombo--Dullness of the Town--Cinnamon Garden--A Cingalese
Appo--Ceylon Sport--Jungle Fever--Newera Ellia--Energy of Sir E.
Barnes--Influence of the Governor--Projected Improvements.


CHAPTER II.

Past Scenes--Attractions of Ceylon--Emigration--Difficulties in
Settling--Accidents and Casualties--An Eccentric
Groom--Insubordination--Commencement of Cultivation--Sagacity of the
Elephant--Disappointments--"Death" in the Settlement--Shocking
Pasturage--Success of Emigrants--"A Good Knock-about kind of a Wife".


CHAPTER III.

Task Completed--The Mountain-top--Change in the Face of
Nature--Original Importance of Newera Ellia--"The Path of a Thousand
Princes"--Vestiges of Former Population--Mountains--The Highlands of
Ouva--Ancient Methods of Irrigation--Remains of Aqueducts--The Vale of
Rubies--Ancient Ophir--Discovery of Gold-Mineral Resources--Native
Blacksmiths.


CHAPTER IV.

Poverty of Soil--Ceylon Sugar--Fatality of Climate--Supposed Fertility
of Soil--Native Cultivation--Neglect of Rice Cultivation--Abandoned
Reservoirs--Former Prosperity--Ruins of Cities--Pollanarua--The Great
Dagoba--Architectural Relics--The Rock Temple--Destruction of
Population--Neglected Capabilities--Suggestions for Increasing
Population--Progress of Pestilence--Deserted Villages--Difficulties in
the Cultivation of Rice--Division of Labor--Native Agriculture.


CHAPTER V.

Real Cost of Land--Want of Communication--Coffee-planting--Comparison
between French and English
Settlers--Landslips--Forest-clearing--Manuring--The Coffee
Bug--Rats--Fatted Stock--Suggestions for Sheep-farming--Attack of a
Leopard--Leopards and Chetahs--Boy Devoured--Traps--Musk Cats and the
Mongoose--Vermin of Ceylon.


CHAPTER VI.

"Game Eyes" for Wild Sports--Enjoyments of Wild Life--Cruelty of
Sports--Native Hunters--Moormen Traders--Their wretched Guns--Rifles
and Smooth-bores--Heavy Balls and Heavy Metal--Beattie's Rifles--Balls
and Patches--Experiments--The Double-groove--Power of Heavy
Metal--Curious Shot at a Bull Elephant--African and Ceylon
Elephants--Structure of Skull--Lack of Trophies--Boar-spears and
Hunting-knives--"Bertram"--A Boar Hunt--Fatal Cut.


CHAPTER VII.

Curious Phenomenon--Panorama of Ouva--South-west Monsoon--Hunting
Followers--Fort M'Donald--River--Jungle Paths--Dangerous
Locality--Great Waterfall--Start for Hunting--The Find--A Gallant
Stag--"Bran" and "Lucifer"--"Phrenzy's" Death--Buck at Bay--The Cave
Hunting-box--"Madcap's" Dive--Elk Soup--Former Inundation--"Bluebeard"
leads off--"Hecate's" Course--The Elk's Leap--Variety of Deer--The
Axis--Ceylon Bears--Variety of Vermin--Trials for Hounds--Hounds and
their Masters--A Sportsman "shut up"--A Corporal and Centipede.


CHAPTER VIII.

Observations on Nature in the Tropics--The Dung Beetle--The
Mason-fly--Spiders--Luminous Insects--Efforts of a Naturalist--Dogs
Worried by Leeches--Tropical Diseases--Malaria--Causes of
Infection--Disappearance of the "Mina"--Poisonous Water--Well-digging
Elephants.


CHAPTER IX.

Instinct and Reason--Tailor Birds and Grosbeaks--The White Ant--Black
Ants at War--Wanderoo Monkeys--Habits of Elephants--Elephants in the
Lake--Herd of Elephants Bathing--Elephant-shooting--The Rencontre--The
Charge--Caught by the Tail--Horse Gored by a Buffalo--Sagacity of
Dogs--"Bluebeard"--His Hunt--A True Hound.


CHAPTER X.

Wild Fruits--Ingredients for a "Soupe Maigre"--Orchidaceous
Plants--Wild Nutmegs--Native Oils--Cinnamon--Primeval Forests--Valuable
Woods--The Mahawelli River--Variety of Palms--Cocoa-nut
Toddy--Arrack--Cocoa-nut Oil--Cocoa-nut-planting--The Talipot Palm--The
Areca Palm--Betel Chewing--Sago Nuts--Varicty of Bees--Waste of
Beeswax--Edible Fungi--Narcotic Puff-ball--Intoxic