The larger ones, which contained about forty persons, were very broad, and composed of boards joined together and fastened with the fibres of the cocoa-tree; the smaller ones were exactly like those I saw in Tahiti, save that they appeared still more dangerous.

The bottom was formed of the trunk of an extremely narrow tree, slightly hollowed out, and the sides of the planks are kept in their places by side and cross supports.

These craft rose hardly a foot and a half out of the water, and their greatest breadth did not average quite a foot.

There was a small piece of plank laid across as a seat, but the rower was obliged to cross his knees from want of room to sit with them apart.
The road, as I before mentioned, lay for the most part through forests of cocoa-trees, where the soil was very sandy and completely free from creepers and underwood; but near trees that did not bear fruit, the soil was rich, and both that and the trees covered with creepers in wild luxuriance.

There were very few orchids.
We crossed four rivers, the Tindurch, Bentock, Cattura, and Pandura, two by means of boats, two by handsome wooden bridges.
The cinnamon plantations commenced about ten miles from Colombo; and on this side of the town are all the country-houses of the Europeans.