The only trouble was, How to get
the cow up? She was a beautiful beast, a thorough-bred
"shorthorn," and she weighed about thirteen hundredweight. She
was so fat that a march of one hundred and fifteen miles in a
tropical climate was impossible. Accordingly a van was arranged
for her, which the maker assured me would carry an elephant. But
no sooner had the cow entered it than the whole thing came down
with a crash, and the cow made her exit through the bottom. She
was therefore obliged to start on foot in company with the bull,
sheep, horse and hounds, orders being given that ten miles a day,
divided between morning and evening, should be the maximum march
during the journey.
The emigrants started per coach, while our party drove up in a
new clarence which I had brought from England. I mention this,
as its untimely end will be shortly seen.
Four government elephant-carts started with machinery, farming
implements, etc., etc., while a troop of bullock-bandies carried
the lighter goods. I had a tame elephant waiting at the foot of
the Newera Ellia Pass to assist in carrying up the baggage and
maidservants.
There had been a vast amount of trouble in making all the
necessary arrangements, but the start was completed, and at
length we were all fairly off.
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