and killed shortly
after this was written.

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.

From June to November the south-west monsoon brings wind and mist
across the Newera Ellia mountains.

Clouds of white fog boil up from the Dimboola valley like the steam
from a huge cauldron, and invade the Newera Ellia plain through the
gaps in the mountains to the westward.

The wind howls over the high ridges, cutting the jungle with its keen
edge, so that it remains as stunted brushwood, and the opaque screen of
driving fog and drizzling rain is so dense that one feels convinced
there is no sun visible within at least a hundred miles.

There is a curious phenomenon, however, in this locality. When the
weather described prevails at Newera Ellia, there is actually not one
drop of rain within four miles of my house in the direction of Badulla.
Dusty roads, a cloudless sky and dazzling sunshine astonish the
thoroughly-soaked traveler, who rides out of the rain and mist into a
genial climate, as though he passed through a curtain. The wet weather
terminates at a mountain called Hackgalla (or more properly
Yakkadagalla, or iron rock). This bold rock, whose summit is about six
thousand five hundred feet above the sea, breasts the driving wind and
seems to command the storm. The rushing clouds halt in their mad
course upon its crest and curl in sudden impotence around the craggy
summits. The deep ravine formed by an opposite mountain is filled with
the vanquished mist, which sinks powerless in its dark gorge; and the
bright sun, shining from the east, spreads a perpetual rainbow upon the
gauze-like cloud of fog which settles in the deep hollow.

This is exceedingly beautiful. The perfect circle of the rainbow
stands like a fairy spell in the giddy depth of the hollow, and seems
to forbid the advance of the monsoon. All before is bright and
cloudless; the lovely panorama of the Ouva country spreads before the
eye for many miles