ankful Valley and the Barrack Plains, having
made a circuit of about twenty-five miles and become thoroughly
conversant with all the localities. I immediately determined to have a
path cut from the Badulla Road across the Hog's Back jungle to the
patinas which looked down upon Fort M'Donald on the other side and, up
which I had ascended on my return. I judged the distance would not
exceed two miles across, and I chose the point of junction with the
Badulla road two miles and a half from my house. My reason for this
was, that the elk invariably took to the jungle at this place, which
proved it to be the easiest route.

This road, on completion, answered every expectation, connecting the
two sides of the Hog's Back by an excellent path of about two miles,
and debouching on the opposite side on a high patina peak which
commanded the whole country. Thus was the whole country opened up by
this single path, and should an elk play his old trick and be off
across the Hog's Back to Fort M'Donald river, I could be there nearly
as soon as he could, and also keep within hearing of the bounds
throughout the run.

I was determined to take the tent and regularly hunt up the whole
country on the other side of the Hog's Back, as the weather was very
bad at Newera Ellia, while in this spot it was beautifully fine,
although very windy.

I therefore sent on the tent, kennel-troughs and pots, and all the
paraphernalia indispensable for the jungle, and on the 31st May, 1852,
I started, having two companions--Capt. Pelly, Thirty-seventh Regiment,
who was then commandant of Newera Ellia, and his brother on a visit.
It was not more than an hour and a half's good walking from my house to
the high patina peak upon which I pitched the tent, but the country and
climate are so totally distinct from anything at Newera Ellia that it
gives every one the idea of being fifty miles away.

We hewed out a spacious arbor at the edge of the jungle, and in this I
had the tent pitched to protect it from the wind, which it did
effectually, as well as the kennel, which was near the same spot. The
servants made a good kitchen, and the encampment was soon complete.

There never could have been a more romantic or beautiful spot for a
bivouac. To the right lay the distant view of the low country,
stretching into an undefined distance, until the land and sky appeared
to melt together. Below, at a depth of about three thousand feet, the
river boiled through