a rough and ready sort of breakfast awaiting us.  Thence we had a steep climb through some of the finest coffee estates in Ceylon, belonging to the Rothschilds, until we reached Rangbodde.  Here there was another delay of half an hour; but although we were anxious to get on, to arrive in time for dinner, it was impossible to regret stopping amidst this lovely scenery.  The house which serves as a resting-place is a wretched affair, but the view from the verandah in front is superb.  A large river falls headlong over the steep wall of rock, forming three splendid waterfalls, which, uniting and rushing under a fine one-arched bridge, complete this scene of beauty and grandeur.

We were due at Neuera-ellia at six, but we had only one pair of horses to drag our heavy load up the steep mountain road, and the poor creatures jibbed, kicked over the traces, broke them three times, and more than once were so near going over the edge of the precipice that I jumped out, and the other passengers, all gentlemen, walked the whole of that stage.  The next was no better, the fresh pair of horses jibbing and kicking worse than ever.  At last one kicked himself free of all the harness, and fell on his back in a deep ditch.  If it had not been so tiresome, it really would have been very laughable, especially as everybody was more or less afraid of the poor horse’s heels, and did not in the least know how to extricate him.

In this dilemma our hunting experiences came in usefully, for with the aid of a trace, instead of a stirrup leather, passed round his neck, half-a-dozen men managed to haul the horse on to his legs again; but the pitchy darkness rendered the repair of damages an exceedingly difficult task.  The horses, moreover, even when once more in their proper position, declined to move, but the gentlemen pushed and the drivers flogged and shouted, and very slowly and with many stops we ultimately reached the end of that stage.  Here we found a young horse, who had no idea at all of harness; so after a vain attempt to utilise his services, another was sent for, thus causing further delay.

It was now nine o’clock, and we were all utterly exhausted.  We managed to procure from a cottage some new-laid eggs and cold spring water, and these eaten raw, with a little brandy from a hunting-flask, seemed to refresh us all.  There was again a difficulty in starting, but, once fairly under way, the road was not so steep and the horses went better.  I was now so tired, and had grown so accustomed to hairbreadth escapes, that, however near we went to the edge of the precipice, I did not feel capable of jumping out, but sat still and watched listlessly, wondering whether we should really go over or not.  After many delays we reached Head-quarter House, where the warmth of the welcome our old friend gave us soon made us forget how tired we were.  They had waited dinner until half-past seven, and had then given us up.  There were blazing wood fires both in the drawing-room and in our bedroom, and in five minutes a most welcome dinner was put before us.  Afterwards we could have stayed and chatted till midnight, but we were promptly sent off to bed, and desired to reserve the rest of our news until morning.