fragments of granite and micaceous schist.

As the shades of evening closed in upon the valley, the scene became
extremely interesting: high upon the hill sides,--for we had reached the
base of the Cheriagotty hills,--groups of natives, crouching round their
fires, were sheltered only by grass huts, the labour of an hour. While
lights twinkled in the minister's camp, soldiers were gathered round
their watch-fires, and the villagers were assembled near a huge crackling
blaze to witness so unusual, and to them so exciting a scene, as 5000
souls encamped in their solitary valley.




CHAPTER V.


_March to Hetowra--Cross the Cheriagotty Hills--Scenes of the war of 1815-
16--Preparations for a wild-elephant hunt--The herd in full cry--A
breakneck country--Furious charges of wild elephants--The lost
child--Return to camp_.

Early on the following morning we were on the march, and for five miles
did our clumsy elephant trip it heavily over the large stones forming the
bed of the stream in which we had been encamped the previous night. I
fear the beauty of the scenery did not so well compensate him for the
badness of the road as his more fortunate riders. To see a hill at a
distance after having travelled so long over a dead level was refreshing;
but when we began to wind round the base of precipitous cliffs, or
clamber up some romantic mountain pass, the effect was most animating.