A JUNGLE TRIP.
ON November 16, 1851 I started from Kandy, accompanied by my brother, Lieutenant V.Baker, (Now Colonel Valentine Baler, late 10th Hussars.)then of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment.Having sent on our horses from Newera Ellia some days previous, as far as Matille, sixteen miles from Kandy, we drove there early in the morning, and breakfasted with F.Layard, Esq., who was then assistant government agent.It had rained without ceasing during twenty-four hours, and hoping that the weather might change, we waited at Matille till two o'clock P.M.The rain still poured in torrents, and giving up all ideas of fine weather, we started.
The horses were brought round, and old Jack knew as well as I did that he was starting for a trip, as the tether rope was wound round his neck, and the horse-cloth was under his saddle.The old horse was sleek and in fine condition for a journey, and, without further loss of time, we started for Dambool, a distance of thirty-one miles.Not wishing to be benighted, we cantered the whole way, and completed the distance in three hours and a half, as we arrived at Dambool at half-past five P.M.
I had started off Wallace and all the coolies from Newera Ellia about a week beforehand; and, having instructed him to leave a small box with a change of clothes at the Dambool rest-house, I now felt the benefit of the arrangement.The horsekeepers could not possibly arrive that night.
We therefore cleaned and fed our own horses, and littered them down with a good bed of paddy straw; and, that being completed, we turned our attention to curry and rice.
The next morning at break of day we fed the horses.Old Jack was as fresh as a daisy.The morning was delightfully cloudy, but free from rain; and we cantered on to Innamalow, five miles from Dambool.Here we procured a guide to Minneria; and turning off from the main road into a narrow jungle path, we rode for twenty miles through dense jungle.
Passing the rock of Sigiri, which was formerly used as a fort by the ancient inhabitants of the country, we gradually entered better jungle, and at length we emerged upon the beautiful plains of Minneria.I had ordered Wallace to pitch the encampment in the exact spot which I had frequently occupied some years ago.I therefore knew the rendezvous, and directed my course accordingly.
What a change had taken place! A continuous drought had reduced the lake from its original size of twenty-two miles in circumference to a mere pool of about four miles in circuit; this was all that remained of the noble sheet of water around which I had formerly enjoyed so much sport.
From the rich bed of the dry lake sprang a fine silky grass of about two feet in height, forming a level plain of velvet green far as the eye could reach.The turf was firm and elastic; the four o'clock sun had laid aside the fiercest of his rays, and threw a gentle glow over the scene, which reminded me of an English midsummer evening.There is so little ground in Ceylon upon which a horse can gallop without the risks of holes, bogs, and rocks that we could not resist a canter upon such fine turf; and although the horses had made a long journey already, they seemed to enjoy a more rapid pace when they felt the inviting sward beneath their feet.Although every inch of this country had been familiar to me, I felt some difficulty in finding the way to the appointed spot, the scene was so changed by the disappearance of the water.
There were fresh elephants' tracks in many parts of the plain, and I was just anticipating good sport for the next day, when we suddenly heard an elephant trumpet in the open forest, which we were skirting.The next instant I saw eight elephants among the large trees which bordered the forest.For the moment I thought it was a herd, but I almost immediately noticed the constrained and unnatural positions in which they were standing.They were all tied to different trees by the legs, and upon approaching the spot, we found an encampment of Arabs and Moormen who had been noosing elephants for sale.We at once saw that the country was disturbed, as these people had been employed in catching elephants for some weeks.
After a ride of seven or eight miles along the plain, I discovered a thin blue line of smoke rising from the edge of a distant forest, and shortly after, I could distinguish forms moving on the plain in the same direction.Cantering towards the spot, we found our coolies and encampment.The tents were pitched under some noble trees, which effectually excluded every ray of sun.It was the exact spot upon which I had been accustomed to encamp some years ago.The servants had received orders when they started from Kandy, to have dinner prepared at five o'clock on the 17th of November; it was accordingly ready on our arrival.
Minneria was the appointed rendezvous from which this trip was to commence.Our party was to consist of the Honourable E.Stuart Wortley,( The present Lord Wharncliffe.)E.Palliser, Esq., Lieutenant V.Baker, S.W.Baker.My brother had unfortunately only fourteen days' leave from his regiment, and he and I had accordingly hurried on a day in advance of our party, they having still some preparations to complete in Kandy, and not being quite so well horsed for a quick journey.
