water proved afterwards of 'the? highest utility, on account of
our Ssicfc; as several of our- men, and myself among the rest,
were attacked with'violent dysenteries and fluxes while *ween-
camped here.
25th. Sent iback two companies, of the Malays * to relieVO-the
Sepoys who had been, left to cover the guns. A de'tachmeht
o f.th e other trqops and the corps effepioneers -returned with
them to assist in the difficult work of' getting-the artillery dori-
w a rd ; for although* each gun had a number of bullocks yoked
to it, they required not a few men to enable them to* make
their way through the ravines and steeps. In the Carnatic and
different parts of the continent of India, , elephants *a¥e errn-
ployed to obviate any difficulties of this sort which may arise
on' a march. - I t is astonishing to observe th e sagacity rof .those.
animals, who, on, observing a gun stuck fast in a rut, ^of' b,
stop made on meeting with a difficult ascent, will eomevand reny
der their assistance, by lifting up the wheel with their trunk,. ot
by placing their forehead to the.hinder part of the carriage and
pushing, it along. Such assistance was; very i much ■ wanted^ on
our present march, as the bullocks of Ceylon are much inferior
both in sjze and strength .to those of ». the continent,vnor can
the united force of a number o f those smaller animals be: applied
so as to produce an effect equal to a few .of thidise 'larger and
better trained o x e n .A b o u t two o’clock the artillery carhe up
and formed on the right of the tents, occupied fey the Eurpi
pean -troops. . -The weather for the last two days was uncommonly
hot, the thermometer being to-day as high a s , 102° at
noon.
26th. Remained in our encampment. A number of the fcoolieS
supplied by the moodeliers around Colombo, Nigumbo, and Caj-
■turb,’ deserted.-;/ Before! wef’C|)uld *proceed,$|the genera! found it
ffir others >to replace them.
Adjga^* .aftd his people Ihy at about two miles from us
- on (th^ppposite- \sJtd£^ of ] the ri^er.'
-t ^ithini'ar.milot'b’f; the -place- ;whe|ld' we were* encamped? and
J&Wards Gplu§ab.O',f/cosei a>* ihalfeof; a® most tmcommbn' and striking
appearance.. I t was situated in .the/midst' off immense arid steep
„tficks, interspersed with plantains-jaridccocoa-treesV* reared therfe
b y d b e hand of natugev- • Under one of recks5 lay m eavein,
in Wvhieh was a . templ^i-dedicated - toM-ho god Buddbu." % h e
a^conpts Wthich -I had heard of tfelris place indacCdbiri'e* tcri seize’ the
first opportunity!©^ visiting it; ’ AfteHcrosbing aflittfe/ welUwatered
plain,»j$e .came to the,’foot >qf a’vperporidieular* rock,- Of a very
,great height, 'itand surrounded-' by/-others© of an ' inferior »-siM.
. The ^aseent^tq^thej cavern!-is about- forty* f e e ^ aildt, i^; made' <by-
a winding path,; composed of - fragmentscof • rocks and
stumps : of "trees. On’ arrivingsoafr the entrance of the 'cavetfS,
the wild appearance which it .'.presents,* - the-.ascent by which 'i t
is gaingd^ ajid., the ‘scene - which- surrounds it,1 present together a
group of objects which;rivet?.the^ey^, and produce£an effect
ori; the mind- much easier , bo concfeived.dhan desfcribed. On
entering .the temp'ley which-.is a iuery*-low and long'apartment
cut out of the rock, the first--,object?*: which presented itself
was an immense-figure of a man carved in wood? and'upwards of
twenty feet n r length- A bed ahd pillow had been hewn5for him
out qfj Ltho ro c k ; and' here he . -lay on hi& right* side, ■ with his right
hand supporting his head, ' His- hair was drizzled*- like that-- <jf
a- negro|'r and his serene arid placid cbisnteriance .was dawbed'
§.11 over^with red paintv,. See,' a-rude representation in f g . 5*of
the plate at page 112.- The inside of the?.tempi© was' rudely