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 UC-NRLF

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LON

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COLOMBO AND THE

KELANI VALLEY
 GIFT OF
Charles A. Kofoid

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MDCCCLXVI

EX LIBRIS
57
 CALIFOR

追い

i.
 PLATE I.

THE AFTERGLOW.
PICTURESQUE

CEYLON

BY

HENRY W. CAVE

COLOMBO AND THE KELANI VALLEY

LONDON

SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON AND COMPANY, LIMITED

St. Dunstan's house
FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.C.

1893

[All Rights Reserved]

D5489

C38

vil
 PREFACE .

HIS work is a pictorial — not a literary effort ; nevertheless

THIS
some information about the scenes depicted will , I trust ,

add to their interest .

My purpose is to enable the friends of European residents

in Ceylon, and others who are interested in the Island, to

obtain a better idea of its charming features than is possible

from mere verbal description .

HENRY W. CAVE .

M181276
 ILLUSTRATIONS .

COLOMBO AND THE KELANI VALLEY .

I. AFTERGLOW Frontispiece

II . OUTRIGGER CANOES facing page 2

III. FROM PRINCE STREET TO PETTAH 99 4

IV . TO THE FORT RAILWAY STATION 99 4

V. COLOMBO LAKE . 19 6

VI. QUEEN STREET, COLOMBO, AND THE LIghthouse "" 8

VII. THE PETTAH ΙΟ

VIII. A CEYLON FISHING FLEET 22 12

IX . HINDU TEMPLE IN SEA STREET , COLOMBO

33

14

X. OF AN AGE TO BE CLOTHED
35

14

XI . THE NATIVE GROCER 99 16

23

XII. THE TAMIL BARBER . 18

XIII . A SHOP WHICH PAYS NO RENT . 20

36

XIV . IN THE VICTORIA PARK 99 22

XV . IN THE VICTORIA PARK "" 22

XVI . BANYAN TREE , WITH YOUNG AËRIAL STEMS • 99 24

::

XVII . THE PINGO 99 26

XVIII . BANYAN TREE "" 26

XIX . SNAKE CHARMING "" 28

1
 ILLUSTRATIONS.

XX . THE HACKERY facing page 28

XXI . GALLE ROAD , COLOMBO 99 30

XXII . AFTERGLOW, FROM THE SHORE OF BAMBALAPITIYA 99 32

XXIII . A FISHING VILLAGE . 99 36

XXIV . BUDDHIST TEMPLE AT DEHIWALA "" 40

XXV. THE BAMBALAPITIYA SHORE 99 38

XXVI . THE FISH AUCTION . "" 38

XXVII . THREE MORATOWA MAIDS ARE WE "" 44

XXVIII. BAMBALAPITIYA "" 46

33
XXIX . JUNGLE IN THE KELANI VALLEY 50

XXX . JAK FRUIT . 52

XXXI . VIEW FROM KARAWANELLA BRIDGE . 56

་
XXXII . THE KELANI RIVER .

35
60

XXXIII. ON RUANWELLA TEA ESTATE . 99 62

XXXIV . RUANWELLA TEA ESTATE "" 64

66
33
XXXV . FORDING THE KELANI AT RUANWELLA

XXXVI . COMPANIONS
23

68
Flattery is hushed when Ceylon is the theme,
As mem'ry on mem'ries throng, her charms to tell !
Are there not witcheries that through beauty beam
.
Unspeakable ? yet, weaving such a spell
That limner, language , never can pourtray,
Though haunted by their magic power alway."
Mrs. William Dent.
 UNIV . OF
CALIF
ORNIA

PICTURESQUE CEYLON .

CHAPTER I.

COLOMBO : THE FORT .

HE folly of attempting to describe Ceylon is

generally admitted . No words, indeed, can

give a correct impression of the wild and

magnificent flora of the island, or of the scenes

of native life so perfectly harmonising with it ;

nor can the best pictures which modern art can produce

awaken the full amount of admiration which the places them-

selves never fail to arouse . Nevertheless , some real idea of

a place can be gained by the help of pictorial illustrations

which are true to nature . Those presented to the reader in

this work are faithful in all detail , and depict such scenes

only as the traveller who journeys through the more popular

and easily accessible districts of Ceylon will be certain to

come across . It is upon the illustrations rather than the

accompanying text that the faithfulness of the description here

given will be found to depend.

S. 1004. A
2 FIRST GLIMPSE OF CEYLON.

The visitor, who for the first time approaches the coast.

of Ceylon is at once impressed by the complete contrast

which it bears to the barren and lifeless shores of Suez or of

Aden . There he gazed upon scorching rocks without a spark

of vegetation to relieve the dull monotony of a parched and

sterile shore . Here he comes upon a scene of intense luxuri-

ance , where life and light combine to greet the eye with never-

failing interest . By this, which is the usual route, there is

no gradual introduction to tropical scenery and vegetation .

The beautiful palm-fringed shore at once bursts into view,

teeming with animal and vegetable life .

But before mingling in this maze of Eastern wonders , it is

worth while to glance around from the steamer, now safely

anchored in the harbour of Colombo . The outrigger canoes

(Plate ii ) are so quaint and singular in form as to excite

immediate interest . They are constructed from the trunks of

trees , which are first hollowed out and levelled at the top ; the

height of the sides is then raised by means of bulwarks made

of planks lashed on , and thus a narrow trough is formed , at

the most a foot wide at the top , but with considerable carry-
ing capacity in the hollowed trunk beneath . Safe balance is

secured by an outrigger attachment , which consists of two

curved poles of wood , extending at right angles to a distance

of about ten feet from the body of the boat , and connected

at the ends by
by a
a float. The various parts are stitched

together with twisted cocoanut fibre , which holds them more

safely than rivets, whether out in the rough and open sea ,

or in forcing their way shorewards through the boisterous

surf. Boats of this construction are used almost universally

 PLATE II.

OUTRIGGER CANOES.
OUTRIGGE
OF
.CAN R UNIV
.OF
BOKM
CYT
 A MOTLEY FLEET. 3

by the Singhalese for fishing and for passenger traffic . They

withstand the roughest sea , and literally fly before the breeze .

Very picturesque, too, they look when manned by small

brown figures , clad only in gay- coloured loin cloths and quaint
straw hats .

As each steamer drops anchor within the magnificent

breakwater of Colombo these curiously constructed craft crowd

around, many of them bringing traders laden with precious

stones, which they hope to dispose of for double or treble

their market value to the unwary passengers ; others plying

for the hire of their boats to take passengers ashore ; some

with dusky Tamils, who sing unceasingly to the plash of their

oars ; many with comely Singhalese of lighter complexion ,

their long hair twisted into a thick knot surmounted by a

tortoiseshell comb, giving them a curiously feminine appear-

some with Indo -Arab traders in their curious costumes

of many colours , and their shaven heads crowned with tall

plaited brimless hats of many-coloured silks . This motley

fleet is the first scene of novelty that claims attention upon

arrival in the harbour of Colombo . To the left of the canoes

in Plate ii is seen a portion of the native quarter called the

Pettah, the features of which will be discussed later on.

The visitor's next proceeding is to go ashore. As he

passes down the gangway in the act of transhipping himself

to the novel outrigger which he has chosen to convey him to

the landing stage, he wonders what he is to do with his legs ,

the distance between the port and starboard bulwarks of the

strange little craft being only nine inches . He soon discovers ,

however, that the method of arranging legs is one behind

4 THE FORT OF COLOMBO.

the other ; then , sitting on a plank placed right across the

top of the bulwarks, he is quickly rowed to the landing

jetty .

Passing by the Tea Kiosk, which has been established to

impress all comers with the merits of Ceylon tea immediately

upon arrival, he strolls up York Street, which is chiefly

interesting from the fact that it contains two of the largest

and best appointed hotels in the East-the Grand Oriental

and the Bristol .

To one who has read Sir Samuel Baker's book on Ceylon ,

it is difficult to realise that this is the place described by him

many years ago as dull and uncomfortable, with a single soi

disant store and a barn-like hotel , the sight of which banished

all idea of comfort . Colombo is now the home of luxury no

less than of natural beauty.

After a breakfast of " divers curries and all manner of

Eastern fruits," a Jinrickshaw will be found convenient in

which to take a turn round the Fort or European business

quarter. As is the case with most towns in India, the

Europeans and natives have separate business localities .

The Fort, now occupied almost exclusively by offices of the

Government and European merchants , was originally con-

structed by the Portuguese , who took possession of Colombo

in 1517 , to protect their factories . In the following century the

Dutch ousted the Portuguese and greatly strengthened the

fortifications . The surrounding moat has now been filled up ,

and the high ramparts have disappeared . The Fort, there-

fore , now exists only in name.

 PLATE III.

FROM PRINCE STREET TO PETTAH.

PLATE IV .

TO THE FORT RAILWAY STATION.

 HI

TYOA FELICE

.71 mi

/ , A! { ! T , 1 Õ༥
FROM PR NCI STREET TO FETTAR .

TO THE FORT RAILWAY STATION .

UNIV . OF
AMGYLIO
 STREETS OF COLOMBO. 5

The roads , which are made with dark red cabook, are in

almost every street delightfully shaded by green Suriya trees .

A combination of colour is thus formed which is most effective

in softening the tropical glare , and renders it possible to look

upon the surrounding objects with comfort, even under the

powerful rays of the midday sun . The Suriya tree (Thespesia

Populnea) flowers profusely with delicate primrose - coloured

blossoms , large and showy, changing to purple as they fade.

In form they somewhat resemble the single scarlet hibiscus .

By their means the streets obtain grateful shade, combined with

most gorgeous effects of colour.

Plate No. iii gives a view of Prince Street , looking towards

the Pettah , or native business quarter. It is a dusty after-

noon , as the picture plainly shows . Natives employed in the

Fort offices are returning home from work. On the left are

two Singhalese peons, or messengers , barefooted , and wearing

white comboys and jackets. In the centre is seen a Tamil

cooly running towards the foreground , and a native policeman

following in his rear. On the right , under the Suriya trees, are

refreshment stalls for natives of the cooly class .

In the next picture (Plate iv) may be seen another class

of natives leaving the offices in the Fort. These are chiefly

clerks who live in the distant suburbs . The direction in which

they are going is the Fort Railway Station of the sea- side

line , which is just visible under the Suriya trees on the right
of the picture . The railway which runs along the shore from

Colombo to Galle has increased the popularity of the sea-side

as a place of residence , and, as a result , charming bungalows

have been built for many miles along the coast .

6 THE DARK, DANK DHOBY.

From the platform of the Fort Railway Station is obtained

the view represented in Plate v. An enchanting fresh -water

lake , stretching over many hundreds of acres , washes the

railway embankment at this point. Groups of bronze -tinted

figures are waist- deep in water, others are enjoying a swim ,

and a yet greater number are engaged near the bank in the

destructive occupation of the dhoby or laundryman . The scene

here depicted seldom varies throughout the year- men and

women, carts and cattle, washing and washed . The carts

arrive laden with clothes , which in this moist and hot climate ,

where many people use two or three washable suits of clothes

in a day, amount to a sum of laundry work which would

astonish the soap-using dame of old England . Here with a

washing tub many hundreds of acres in size , and the cleansing

stone of the dark, dank dhoby, there is no need of Pears ' Soap .

By first immersing one's shirts in the lake, and afterwards using

them for some minutes as a sledge-hammer upon the huge

blocks of stone which are visible near the bank, the dirt is

soon bashed, not washed, out of them more effectually than

it would be by any amount of hot water and soapsuds , but

alas ! at the expense of much wear and tear. In spite of the

fact , however, that the moderate salary of the dhoby fails to

compensate for the rapid reduction of the substance of one's

linen , this method of washing is the best ever invented in point

of cleanliness , if not of economy.

The palm -thatched bullock carts that are to be seen

stationary in the water are of the kind used for heavy

traffic . The driver stands between the bullocks and the

cart. The weight is drawn by pressure of the yoke against

 PLATE V.

COLOMBO LAKE.
1

J
COLOMBO
LAKE
.
 10
VIMU
OLIAD
 COLOMBO LAKE. 7

the humps on the necks of the bullocks , which work in

pairs.

This fresh-water lake is one of the most charming features of

Colombo . Its ramifications are so many that one is constantly

coming across pretty nooks and corners quite unexpectedly ,

each fresh view presenting a wealth of foliage luxuriant

beyond description . Palms in great variety intermingle with

the gorgeous mass of scarlet flamboyant blossoms , the lovely

lemon-yellow lettuce tree, the ever graceful bamboo , the crimson

blooms of the dark hibiscus , contrasting with the rich green

of the areca, date , and palmyra palms, the huge waving leaves

of the plantain , flowering trees and shrubs of every description

of tropical foliage, the whole forming a border to the rippling

waters , of unrivalled beauty and unfailing interest . A splendid

carriage road follows the winding course of the bank, and is

a very popular route for an evening drive . But by far the best

view of the lake scenery of Colombo is obtainable from a boat

upon the lake itself. The water is usually quiet enough for

ordinary rowing boats , many of which , imported from Messum,

Tagg, and Salter, the famous builders on the Thames , are

to be seen towards the hours of evening.

The annual regatta upon the lake is an important social

event . Rowing, as well as cricket and lawn-tennis , can be

indulged in all the year round, and they are all very popular

forms of exercise , and entirely suitable to the climate .

The Fort is, perhaps , the most uninteresting part of the

whole of Ceylon , but it naturally calls for description first,

being the part first seen by every traveller, and the only one

seen by some.
8 QUEEN STREET.

Close by the Fort Railway Station are the Military quarters ,

five blocks of handsome barracks , which are unequalled in

any other part of the East in point of healthy situation , design ,

and construction . They were built at a cost of £ 65,000 .

In Queen Street (Plate vi) , are to be found the residence

of the Governor of the Colony, the banks, the lighthouse,

and many merchants' offices . It will be noticed that the

buildings in Queen Street, like most of those in the Fort,

are hidden from full view by an avenue of Suriya trees. The

lighthouse, which was built in the middle of the street in
1857 , serves the additional purpose of a very useful clock

tower. From the top of this the energetic traveller may

obtain a view grand enough to compensate for the great

inconvenience which an ascent in such intense moist heat

will certainly occasion , a cold bath and an entire change of

clothing being immediately necessary upon returning to mother

earth . The lamp upon this tower is one of the finest in the

world . It has a revolving dioptric light showing a triple flash

at intervals of thirty seconds .

Queen's House, the residence of the Governor , is only a few

yards beyond the lighthouse . Adjoining it is a fine terraced

garden, the jubilee gift of the Hon . Sir Arthur Hamilton

Gordon (now Baron Stanmore) . This is the brightest spot

in the Fort, for there all manner of feathery palms, gorgeous

crotons, and rosy oleanders combine to lend colour and frag-

rance to a charming corner of the European quarter.

The business of the colony, both legislative and commercial ,

is chiefly transacted in the Fort . In the early days of the

 PLATE VI.

COLOMBO LIGHTHOUSE .
COLOMBO
LIGHTHOUSE
.

NNOJIVO
 THE BUSINESS OF THE COLONY. 9

British rule the annual imports amounted to about £250,000 .

They are now about five millions. During the same period

the revenue has risen from £ 226,000 to about one and a half
millions . In the early days there were no banks , no good

roads or bridges , very few schools , no hospitals , only four

post offices , and no newspapers . There are now fourteen

important exchange and deposit banks and banking agencies

doing an annual sum of business amounting to about seventy

millions of rupees , fifteen hundred miles of splendid metalled

.

roads , countless good bridges , more than two thousand schools ,

upwards of a hundred hospitals and dispensaries , two hundred

and fifty post offices, thirty- six newspapers and periodicals ,

and nearly five millions of acres of land under cultivation .

The shipping entered and cleared in the course of the year

amounts to nearly six millions of tons , as against seventy-

five thousand in the early part of the century.

From this recital of figures some idea may be gathered of

the importance of the Fort as a business quarter, and of the

present flourishing condition of the colony of Ceylon .

S. 1004. B
 CHAPTER II .

THE PETTAH.

EAVING the Fort , we now pass on to the

Pettah or native traders' quarter . European

residents in Ceylon , as a rule, dislike passing

through purely native streets , but the traveller

finds many attractions in them , and is usually

more interested by a drive through the Pettah than by any other

part of Colombo . An accomplished authoress has well described

66 The numerous
it as an ever fascinating kaleidoscope ."

races of people represented , Singhalese , Moors , Tamils, Parsees ,

Dutch, Portuguese , Malays, and Afghans, the variety of cos-

tume worn by each race in accordance with caste or social

position , from the simple loin cloth of the cooly to the

gorgeous attire of the wealthy and high caste gentleman , the

different complexions and forms of toilet, and the avocations

being carried on in the open street, are all entertaining to

the visitor who for the first time becomes a witness of the

manners and customs of Oriental life . At every turn the eye is

met by a fresh picture, and a new subject for study is presented

to the mind . This mixed and motley crowdlive their life and

carry on their labours almost entirely in public. Neither doors ,

windows , nor shutters interfere with a complete view of the

interior of their houses and stalls . The handicraftsman works

serenely in his open shed , sometimes even in the open street ;

women are occupied in their most domestic affairs unveiled
 PLATE VII.

THE PETTAH .
OI
M LA
 THE STREETS OF THE PETTAH. II

from the glance of the curious passer-by, and tiny children ,

clothed only in the rich tints of their own complexions , sport

amongst the traffic. All this harmonises charmingly with the

conditions of climate and the nature of the people . The heat

renders clothing uncomfortable, and closed-up dwellings un-

endurable .

The street view (Plate vii) has not suffered from any excite-

ment caused by the presence of a camera, as it is merely

the result of a snap- shot from a carriage while passing by.

On the left of the picture is a kitchen cooly with marketing

basket on his head, while standing near is his superior ser-

vant, the appu , or butler, dressed in a white comboy and

black jacket . The appu comes daily to the Pettah for

marketing purposes , and since carrying provisions is beneath

the dignity of his position , he is always accompanied by

the kitchen cooly, who in many cases is also the cook , for

the appu does no work beyond the mere direction of the

servants under him . Thus he has ample leisure to cheat

" master," and this he does both constantly and effectually in

his bazaar account .

The Singhalese are good cooks , and there are not a few

amongst them who could prepare a dinner which would do

honour to a trained French chef. Their curries are far

superior to those of India, and are of infinite variety . Unfortu-

nately the butchers ' meat obtainable in Colombo is execrable ,

but with a very large variety of fish, plenty of poultry, good

vegetables and fruit, and clever cooks withal, the drawback

is not greatly felt .

12 THE COLOMBO CROW.

In the middle of the foreground of our picture are two

schoolboys , probably on their way home from the Royal

College, an excellent Government school situated on the shores.

of the lake . On the right the street is lined with bullock

carts , which have come to market laden with spices and

rice .

At the end of this street may be obtained the most in-

teresting view of the Colombo Harbour and the coast looking

north towards the suburb of Mutwall (Plate viii) . A little fleet

of fishing canoes forms a pretty foreground to the picture .

They are not left high and dry by a receding tide, but are

beached while flying before the breeze in full sail , suffering no

damage by the terrific force with which they strike the shore ,

owing to the peculiarity of their construction in being laced

.
with coir instead of fastened with rivets . Nets are being

gathered up by the fishermen on the sands , and sails are

still left flying, men and boats thus unconsciously lending

their aid to the artistic effect of the view. The same may

be said even of the crows which have alighted on the halliards .

The Colombo crow has a character which has been noticed

by almost every author who has written about Ceylon . He

is to be seen in every place where food , good or bad , can be

found . Unlike his species in Europe, he is utterly devoid of all

timidity . For sheer impudence and cool daring he stands un-

rivalled in the feathery tribe . He will appear in your presence.

at the dining table when least expected , and fly off with a

choice morsel ; he will swoop down and take biscuit or fruit

from a child's hand unoffered ; he will come in at your bed-

room window and rob you of the toast and jam brought in.
 PLATE VIII .

A CEYLON FISHING FLEET.

I
A
CES21
21
2ING
TE O
. FIV
UN

OJIVO
 THE DISTRICT OF MUTWALL. 13

with your early cup of tea , and he is so quick and secure in

his movements that he has been known to catch bread in his

beak when thrown from a window before it can reach the

ground . I have experienced his depredations in all these par-

ticulars , and have heard of many even more audacious . Some

years ago , when I lived at St. Thomas's College , Colombo ,

where the dining hall is a separate building , accommodating

over a hundred students , with a lofty roof supported by

pillars , surrounded by a verandah and open to the garden on

all sides, it was the custom to keep a Singhalese boy, with a

rifle on his shoulder, patrolling around the verandah during

meals to keep off the crows, a gun being the only thing known

which the Colombo crow fears to approach . In this respect he

seems to share the instinct of his species everywhere .

The suburb of Mutwall, a distant glimpse of which we get

in Plate viii , ` is more beautiful and interesting than the residen-

tial suburbs to the south of Colombo ; but, as the approach

to it from the Fort lies through the native quarter, it is

less popular . It contains , however, many fine bungalows , with

very beautiful gardens , not the least interesting of them being

Elie House , once the residence of Sir Emerson Tennent .

Here the noble Kelani (see Plates xxxi , xxxii , and xxxv)
rolls into the Indian Ocean . Near to the mouth of this

river is the most picturesque bit of coast near Colombo . The

cocoanut groves which fringe the shore cast their shadows
upon a little village of fishers' huts , scattered irregularly

amongst a luxuriant undergrowth of curious grasses and red-

flowered convolvuli.
14 THE DISTRICT OF MUTWALL.

At eventide , when the fishing canoes are drawn up on land ,

their huge square sails stretched out and drying in the breeze ,

and the afterglow throws a soft orange light upon the objects

along the shore , the scene is most enchanting.

In the early morning, too , the constantly varying pictures

that here meet the eye are interesting in the highest

degree. As the outlying rocks form some protection from

sharks , whole families of natives assemble at sunrise to in-

dulge in a bathe in the sea ; cattle and horses , too , are

brought into the water to be cleansed and refreshed for the

work of the day. Fishing from the rocks is indulged in by

little naked Singhalese children with rod , line, and hook , but

without bait ; and very curious it is to watch them skil-

fully hooking fish in this manner as they rise in shoals near

the surface of the water.

The natives in this district are mostly of the fisher caste

and the Halagama , or Cinnamon peelers ' caste . They are all

Roman Catholics , and have built several fine churches, notably

that of S. James, opened in 1872. This handsome building,

which was erected at a cost of one hundred and fifty thousand

rupees, has a congregation of about 3,500. It is most gor-

geously decorated , the frescoes being by a local artist , to whom

they do great credit .

On a hill at the southern end of Mutwall stands the

Anglican Cathedral of Christ Church, built by the first Bishop

of Colombo . From the tower a good view of the harbour

may be obtained, but more interesting still is the curious sight

of many thousands of acres of palms , which , when looked

 PLATE IX .

HINDU TEMPLE .

PLATE X.

1 OF AN AGE TO BE CLOTHED .
 HINDU TEMPLE.

OF AN AGE TO BE CLOTHED . UNIV . OF

i
LIAD
 THE CHETTY COMMUNITY. 15

at from this lofty eminence , seem to completely bury the

city beneath their multitudinous crowns of gigantic waving

fronds .

St. Thomas ' College, which is situated in the same grounds

as the Cathedral , is the most important centre of education

in Ceylon . It has about 350 students of various races and

creeds . The Cathedral does duty as a college chapel, and

has an excellent choir supplied from the students .

The route from Mutwall through the Pettah brings us next

to Sea Street (Plate ix) , the trading quarter of the scantily-clad

Chetties, an immigrant race from Southern India , who deal in

rice and cotton goods . It is almost impossible to drive through

this street at all , so crowded is it from morning to night with

bullock- carts heavily laden with rice . The scene, however, is

so purely Eastern that it is worth the trouble of struggling

through the traffic as far as the Hindu temples on the left

of the picture. Europeans are only admitted to the interior of

these somewhat uninviting temples upon the condition that they

will bare their feet . The exterior is adorned with hundreds

of hideous figures representing various scenes in the history of

the Hindu deities . The street itself is entirely occupied by

Chetties , who are a frugal and orderly people , many of them

wealthy, and nearly all of them great usurers . They are

first-class accountants , and some hold positions of trust as

clerks in the banks and in the offices of European merchants .

The rice dealers are conspicuous by the scantiness of

their attire ; they wear only a thin white muslin cloth,

curiously arranged about their legs , and their heads are clean
16 THE NATIVE BOUTIQUE .

shaven and bare . The accountants , on the other hand , wear

a white comboy and jacket, with a large number of buttons

of sterling gold, huge earrings , about three inches in diameter ,

reaching almost to the shoulder, and set with sapphires , emeralds ,

and rubies , a gold- braided hat of curious shape, and a gorgeous

silk scarf around the neck .

The native boutique, or provision shop , which abounds in

the Pettah and all native quarters, is fairly represented by

Plate xi . The open character of the whole street is of this

nature , the stalls varying only in the classes of goods offered

for sale. Here (Plate xi) there are fruits , curry stuffs of dried

fish , various spices , earthenware chatties , and firewood ; in

another shop would be seen all manner of vegetables ; in

others again gay comboys , or loin cloths , articles of native

manufacture in brass-ware and pottery, and various useful

articles made from the cocoa - nut and other palms . The

money - changers ' stalls, too , are perhaps the most purely

Eastern of any, and are a prominent feature in these native

bazaars .

Each little store is presided over by its owner, who almost

invariably sits with his legs folded beneath him upon the

sloping planks whereon his goods are displayed for sale . His
customers are almost as varied as his wares . The Singhalese

man , of sienna complexion , wearing his long hair gathered up

into a knob surmounted by a comb of tortoiseshell, appears

in various garb according to caste , even the comb assuming

different forms in accordance with social position . The Singha-

lese women, too , have a multitude of distinctions both in dress

and ornaments . Some of the highland women wear a single

 PLATE XI.

THE NATIVE GROCER.

Luk ZALIRE CROCÉE
CALIF
 VINO
NU
CYTIL
 COSTUMES OF THE NATIVES. 17

coloured cloth , which they wind about themselves in very

artistic fashion , leaving one shoulder bare. The lowland

Singhalese women have two garments ; the comboy , reaching

from the waist to the ankles , and a short bodice with low-

cut neck. All indulge , more or less , in jewellery, consisting

of necklaces and bangles on both arms and ankles , and rings

on their fingers and toes. They wear their hair twisted into

a lump at the back of the head and secured by pins of

ornamental patterns . Many Tamil women wear but a single

coloured cloth , which they gracefully entwine about their limbs ,

leaving the right side bare to the hip ; but some wear, in
addition , a tightly- fitting jacket, as shown in Plate xi. The

very poor decorate themselves with ornaments of shells , sharks'

teeth , beads , and berries .

The costumes of the native men are even more varied .

The Moormen with shaven heads , crowned with curiously

plaited brimless hats of coloured silks , and gorgeous comboys ;

the Parsees in white calico and still more curious headgear ;

the Tamils with religious symbols upon their foreheads , in

white , black, red , or yellow, becoming turbans upon their

heads, and the smallest possible quantity of clothing about

their bodies , a square yard of coloured calico sufficing in

most instances ; the Afghans , contrasting with the Tamils in

their superabundance of gaudy attire - such are the races ,

and such the dresses , of the native inhabitants of Colombo .

They form very picturesque groups in the Pettah, which is

at all times literally crowded with them, so much so that ,

when one is driving this way, the nimble muttu , or native

groom, has to run the whole distance by the horse's head ,
S. 1004. C
18 INDO-ARABS IN CEYLON .

keeping up a continual shouting to warn them out of the

way.

Infants are never carried in the arms of their mothers , but

astride on the hip , as seen in Plate xi . Until about their

seventh year they are left quite devoid of clothing. Scores of

them may be seen playing by the roadside quite naked , with

the exception , in some cases , of tiny bangles round the ankles

and a silver chain around the loins . After about the seventh

year the boys begin to wear comboys of coloured calico up

to the waist , leaving the chest and arms bare, and the girls

the same, with the addition of a calico jacket , as seen in

Plate x. The Moors dress their children completely at about

the age of nine (see middle figure in Plate x) .

The race of Indo -Arabs , called Moormen , numbering about

150,000 in Ceylon , settled there at a very early date, and has

always been the most active and enterprising part of the popu-
lation . They are devoted to buying and selling, but never

attempt manufactures of any kind . In religion they are Maho-

metans , and still use Arabic in their ritual, although Tamil has
become their vernacular.

The practice of shaving the head, common amongst the

Hindoos and Moormen , supports a very considerable number

of native artists , who carry on the trade of the professional

barber in the open streets . The operator (see Plate xii) sits

upon his feet on a mat by the roadside , and his patient

squats in the same manner facing him. What tough scalps

these Tamils must have ! The barber uses no soap to soften

his victim's hair, but , wielding his keen weapon with wonderful
 PLATE XII.

THE TAMIL BARBER.

IPL
OJITVO
WIND
30
JE
WIL
TILIAD
 CUSTOM OF SHAVING THE HEAD . 19

dexterity , removes every trace of it by a few rapid

strokes , leaving the surface as polished and shining as a

new copper kettle . In some parts of Colombo a dozen or

more of these quaint operations may be seen in passing

through a single street, many of the patients being funny

little brown boys of various ages . Singhalese men adopt the

opposite extreme, and allow their hair to grow to its full

length, which perhaps is a more rational plan, as it is cer-

tainly a valuable protection from the rays of the sun ; but

they are often just as busily occupied by the wayside in

weeding out the native population from their lengthy silken

locks as the Malabar Tamils are in the operation of being

shaved .
 CHAPTER III .

FROM THE PETTAH TO THE CINNAMON GARDENS .

PON leaving the Pettah, a most interesting

route to take in order to observe the manners

and customs of the poorer classes of the native

population in Colombo, and the great natural

beauty which surrounds their dwellings, is by

way of Skinner's Road, through the large and populous dis-

trict of Maradahn.

A familiar character, seen at very frequent intervals by

the roadside , is the old woman with her little frame or stall

of betel (Plate xiii) . The Singhalese, both men and women ,

in the habit of chewing the betel leaf. This cus-

indulge

tom takes the place of smoking the tobacco leaf amongst

Europeans , and the use of opium by the Chinese . The leaf,

which in appearance somewhat resembles ivy, is said to

possess constituents which compensate for a deficiency of

animal diet . All the natives carry with them a small box

containing three ingredients , viz. , a few leaves of betel , some

fine chunam , or lime made from pearl oyster shells , and a

few slices of areca nut. They wrap a little chunam and

areca nut in the betel leaf, and then convey it to the

mouth. The effect of chewing this mixture is said to be

soothing to the brain and encouraging to the digestive organs ,

but, however this may be, the more evident effect is the
 PLATE XIII.

SHOP WHICH PAYS NO RENT.

WE
OF
A
CA PEN
TO
UN
O
. FIV
 THE PASSION FOR BETEL CHEWING . 21

reddening of the saliva , which gives to the mouth an appear-

ance of bleeding. The passion for betel chewing is very

strong, and asserts itself in quite young children , who take

to it as soon as they are able to get possession of a betel-

box. The betel leaf is the delicacy which is being offered for

sale by the Tamil woman in the right corner of Plate xiii .

Her unlovely companion is catering for a more rational

appetite with her baskets of fresh cocoa -nuts , gram and curry

stuffs . The Singhalese girl on the left, having made her pur-

chase of betel , has taken a seat for a little gossip , and is

evidently in the act of placing a portion of the pungent

delicacy in her mouth .

The homes of these people , being mere huts built of mud

and thatched with palm leaves , are in themselves decidedly

squalid ; yet they have a picturesque appearance due to their

charming surroundings , for they are always embowered in the

choicest tropical foliage . The wants within these humble dwel-

lings are indeed few. Living in a temperature which makes

artificial heat unnecessary the whole year round, and renders

clothing for the sake of warmth superfluous , the poor natives

of Ceylon are far more comfortable in their modest huts than

the poor in colder countries with their better- furnished cottages

and the need for coal and warm clothing.

Within a few minutes drive of Maradahn is the luxuriant

district known as the " Cinnamon Gardens, " which consists of

a park laid out as a Jubilee Memorial to Queen Victoria, a

magnificent race -course , and many miles of splendidly made

red roads through groves of cinnamon and every kind of

IN THE VICTORIA PARK.

IN THE VICTORIA PARK.

UNIV . OF

xiv.-xv.
AIMBOTLIAD
OL ПMIA
 THE VICTORIA PARK. 23

burghers and natives . Each residence nestles in a paradise of

palms and flowering shrubs of infinite variety, crotons most

gorgeous and creepers innumerable, the latter overgrowing roofs

and pillars and climbing the neighbouring trees , which they

bespangle with their lovely blossoms . An evening drive through

this part of Colombo is a botanical feast of the most exhila-

rating nature . In the part now known as the Victoria Park

one may wander under the shade of palms and figs, or rest

beneath clumps of graceful bamboo (Plate xiv) , surrounded by

blossoms and perfumes of the most enchanting kind . The

huge purple bells of the Thunbergia creep over the arch-

ways , and gorgeous passion flowers , orchids , pitcher plants ,

bright-leaved caladiums and multitudes of other tropical plants

everywhere flourish and abound .

To the right of the bamboos in Plate xiv is a specimen of

the curious fan- shaped traveller's tree (urania speciosa) , often

wrongly described as a palm . Its long broad leaves collect

water, which they filter into the close-set sheaths at the base

of the leaves , whence the traveller can draw streams of pure

water by simply piercing them with a knife.

The surface of the soil in the Cinnamon Gardens consists

curiously of white sand , beneath which is a stratum of nourish-

ing soil. It is this subsoil which supports the roots of the

plants, and produces such luxuriance of vegetation ; the traveller,

however, is often much surprised and puzzled to see such

abundance of magnificent trees and plants apparently nourished

only by white sand .

Amongst the trees which attract the notice of the traveller

the banyans stand pre-eminent . Those here illustrated are

BANYAN TREE.

UNIV . OF

xvi
 THE SACRED BO-TREE . 25

Haeckel has observed that they are very fond of palm wine ,

upon which they frequently get intoxicated by drinking from

the vessels placed to catch the flowing sap.

Another member of the fig- tree family, the sacred Bo

(ficus religiosa) flourishes in Ceylon no less than the Banyan.

The venerated specimen still flourishing at Anaradhapura , in

the North - Central province of Ceylon , is more than two thou-

sand years old, having been planted B.C. 288 . Certainly no

tree in the world has had its history so carefully preserved .

Native records exist sufficiently numerous and trustworthy to

give fair grounds for the belief that this is the original tree ,

planted at Anaradhapura from a branch of the sacred Peepul ,

beneath the shade of which Buddha was wont to sit in con-

templation . From this circumstance Bo -trees are always

objects of the deepest reverence to Buddhists , who take the

greatest care not to injure them .

Still another family of the same great clan is the India-

rubber tree (ficus elastica) , many fine specimens of which will

be referred to in Vol . II . of this work. Its leaf is familiar

amongst hot-house shrubs in England ; in Ceylon , however,

it is better known as a magnificent tree of some hundred feet

in height, with huge roots like pythons creeping over the

surface of the soil , in many instances to a distance which

equals the height of the tree itself.

S. 1004. D
 CHAPTER IV.

THE MUSEUM AND THE SUBURBS OF COLOMBO .

D
DJOINING the Victoria Park is the Colombo

Museum , the finest modern building in Ceylon .

It is entirely occupied with Ceylon exhibits ;

archæological , zoological, botanical , agricultural ,

industrial , &c . , and in all departments it

grows richer year by year. Especially interesting are the

archæological exhibits from the ancient cities of Anaradhapura

and Pollanarua, dating from the early days of the Kandyan

Kingdom .

The natural history galleries contain many fine specimens ,

including a shark 13 feet in girth . Notwithstanding the great

difficulties in the way of forming and maintaining stuffed and

desiccated specimens in a climate that is moist as well as

hot, the Museum possesses a rich collection of the fauna of

the island . The insects are remarkably well represented, and

are perhaps the most striking of the many collections in the

natural history department .

Another delightful institution in this part of Colombo is

the Garden Club, adjoining the Museum grounds . This is the

rendezvous of the élite of the European residents, especially in

the evening, when Lawn Tennis is engaged in upon some of the

 PLATE XVII.

THE PINGO.

PLATE XVIII.

BANYAN TREE.
 THE PINGO.

BANYAN TREE,
UNIV . OF

CALIFORNIA

xvii.-xviii.
90 VIMU
 THE PINGO. 27

finest courts to be met with anywhere ; and the play, too , is

generally of an equally superior character, owing perhaps to the

opportunities afforded by the climate for playing all the year

round . The grounds are well kept and prettily laid out with

the choicest of flowering shrubs .

From this point a pleasant drive may be taken by way

of the road illustrated in Plate xvii , past the Government

Agricultural School to the suburb of Bambalapitiya. The

Agricultural School is a unique institution , established for the

instruction of the village schoolmaster in the arts of agricul-

ture in order that new methods of cultivation may be intro-

duced through the teaching given in the village schools .

Passing on we notice pine- apples growing wild amongst the

cinnamon bushes which are thickly planted by the road- side ,

interspersed here and there with cocoa- nuts , mangoes , and

bread-fruit. The pine-apple is not indigenous , yet there are

about ten thousand acres of land applied to its cultivation

in Ceylon .

Another familiar feature of these roads is the Pingo cooly.

The Pingo is a long flat piece of wood of the Kitool palm ,

tough and pliable . The cooly (see Plate xvii) , having attached

his load to the two ends, places the centre upon his shoulder,

and by the elastic spring of the Pingo he is thus enabled to

carry great weights for a considerable distance . Some Pingos

are made from the leaf-stalk of the cocoa palm, which is even

more pliable than the Kitool . This is a favourite means of

carrying liquids , placed in earthenware chatties which are

ANART CHARMING.

THE WACKERY.
UNIV. OF
 HACKERIES. 29

In the suburbs of Colombo the best specimens of the

little trotting bull are met with . These are pretty smooth-

skinned little animals, with deep dewlap , and a hump above

their shoulders, by means of which they draw the Hackeries ,

or small two-wheeled cars , as seen in the illustration (Plate xx) .

Their legs are fine and slender , almost deer-like, and their

pace is nearly equal to that of a good pony . They are guided

in driving by thin reins of rope, which are passed through the

nostril. Barbarous as it seems to bore a hole through this

sensitive part for such a purpose , it is doubtful whether they

suffer more by this method than they would by any other

means that could be devised .

The Hackery is essentially the carriage of the middle-class

native . The whole turn-out costs but a trifling sum-from thirty

shillings to five pounds, according to the age and quality of

the bull- and the upkeep amounts to very little , while the
cost of fodder is only a few shillings per mensem.

Europeans, who live in outlying stations , sometimes keep a

Hackery ; but I have never known one who could drive the

bull , which is trained to obey the native voice , and takes no

heed therefore of such exhortations as " Pitta , pitta,' " Muc ,

muc," when articulated with a strange accent . So the Euro-

pean who uses a Hackery takes a back seat and employs a

native coachman .

The natives come to the Colombo races in Hackeries

by the score , for they are very keen on the sport , and it
is not an uncommon thing to see Hackery trotting- matches ,

improvised upon the return homewards . Whether they

30 BEASTS OF BURDEN .

" put a little on " in the various events which they come

to witness I cannot say, but their propensity for gambling is

so universal that they doubtless bet freely on their own

Hackery races .

Upon reaching the Galle Road , in the suburb of Bam-

balapitiya , we come upon a species of cattle ( Plate xxi) which

differs from the little Hackery bull as much as our English
cart-horse differs from a carriage-horse. These are indeed

beasts of burden . Being of a larger breed , they are used for

the slower and heavier traffic . They work in pairs , and draw

their heavy loads by pressure of their humps against the huge

cross -bar which rests upon their necks and is attached in the

centre to the pole of the cart . In this manner they can draw

heavy loads of from fifteen hundredweight to a ton for twenty

miles each day. There are some twenty thousand of these

palm thatched carts and bullocks on the roads in Ceylon ,

mostly engaged in conveying produce to the ports , and

returning laden with rice for the coolies employed on the tea
and coffee estates . The drivers, one regrets to notice , do not

exercise much human kindness in the function allotted to

them, for in addition to the method displayed in the illus-

tration , where we see the short cane being freely applied,

they cruelly twist the tails of the poor brutes, thus inflicting
great torture . *

For seventy miles the Galle Road is in no part much less

beautiful than the portion illustrated by Plate xxi , which is

within the Colombo municipality, as is clearly indicated by

* For a splendid specimen of the heavy traffic bull, see the Newera Eliya section of this work
in Vol. III.
 PLATE XXI .

GALLE ROAD, COLOMBO.

GALLE ROAD, COLOMBO.

UNIV . OF

xxi.
AIMBOLIAD
 THE GALLE ROAD . 31

the gas - lamp on the right of the picture . This road , which

is in close proximity to the sea , passes through a forest of

palms , with here and there a pathway leading to the coast,

down which we catch frequent glimpses of the shore . Although

the character of the landscape varies little for the whole distance ,
yet it is never wearisome or monotonous . The naturalist is

enchanted by the abundance of interesting objects at every

turn ; while to the enthusiastic botanist this seventy miles of

road, densely bordered on either side with an inexhaustible

variety of leaf and blossom, is a treasury unsurpassed in any

other country of the world.

The brown thatched huts, groups of gaily clad natives ,

animals, birds- all these add life to a scene that baffles

description . Garlands of creepers festooned from tree to tree ;

huge banyans stretching in archways completely over the road,

with the stems all overgrown by ferns , orchids , and other

parasitic plants ; here and there a blaze of the flame- coloured

gloriosa, golden orchids, various kinds of orange and lemon

trees covered with fragrant blossoms , climbing lillies , an under-

growth of exquisite ferns of infinite variety, all crowned by

slender palms of ninety or a hundred feet in height- it is

vain to attempt a full description of such a scene .

A tree will be noticed in our illustration with lateral

branches thrown out in groups of three , some feet apart , and

bearing a large crop of pods on the otherwise bare branches.

This is the cotton tree , called by the Singhalese Katu - Imbul .

It may be seen on this road in three stages ; first, it becomes

loaded with crimson blossoms before any leaves appear ; then ,
32, WAYSIDE REPTILES.

the leaves develop ; and afterwards it bears pods as seen in

the picture . When ripe , the cotton bursts from the pod, and
where the trees are uncultivated it strews the road ; but

where cultivation is carried on , it is collected from the pods ,

and the fibre, being too short for spinning, is exported for

stuffing mattresses .

By the streams and wooden bridges, which form a charming

feature of this road, huge reptiles, harmonizing in colour with

the vegetation around, bask lazily on the banks . On one

occasion, while driving from Colombo, I saw a huge python

lying asleep upon a piece of rock close to the road- side ; it must

have measured at least sixteen feet in length . The gigantic lizard ,

called by the natives the Kabra-goya, also lies quite heedless of

the passer-by. This strange creature , some seven feet long ,

has a great resemblance to the crocodile , but is of a greenish

colour and strongly marked with spots and stripes . He seldom

moves unless attacked, when he is by no means so slothful

as his appearance would lead one to suppose . He is an ugly

monster, and very tenacious of life , his head being the only
vulnerable spot .
A gun is the only safe weapon with which

to attack him , as a stroke from his tail has often proved

sufficiently powerful to break a man's arm. Smaller lizards of

great variety are to be seen on this same road, and huge

crocodiles , too, by the larger water- ways.

Perhaps no sight to be seen from Bambalapitiya is more

purely magnificent than the glow after sunset . The clouds on

the horizon take the strangest forms , and are lighted up with
tints far more beautiful that the sunset itself. Of course no
 PLATE XXII.

AFTERGLOW, FROM THE SHORE OF BAMBALAPITIYA.

NOJITIVO
WIND
JO
BTORS
KIDS HIT
50
 70
VIMU
OTILIAO
 SUNSET EFFECTS . 33

photograph can give an idea of this superbly delightful effect ,

but I have been able to reproduce, to some extent, the strange

forms of the clouds , and to give some idea in Plate xxii of

the weird effect at dusk caused by the palms which bend

over the sea forming a foreground to the strange appearance

of the distant sky.. From these two palms we look straight

out to sea, and although there appears to be a mountainous

tract of country rising high above the horizon , this is in fact

a mass of cloud , which has wholly appeared since the sun

sank beneath the horizon some fifteen minutes before .

It is generally known that Ceylon , being only six degrees

from the equator, has very little twilight , the space of time

elapsing between strong daylight and darkness amounting to

little more than a quarter of an hour. The time of sunset

varies not more than about half an hour throughout the year.

It will interest the amateur photographer to know that when

I exposed the plate from which this view has been reproduced ,

it was already dark within the bungalow, and the faint light

over the sea necessitated an exposure of forty seconds on the

most rapid plate . Five minutes later it was totally dark.

A reference to the frontispiece will give the reader some idea

of an after-glow effect some few minutes earlier than the one

which has just been described , while there is yet considerable

light over the sea. It is not often that such views can be

successfully photographed , because, when the sun sinks below

the horizon, a strong breeze generally springs up and causes

such waving of the palm leaves that forty seconds ' exposure

would produce a mere blurred effect without any definition .

S. 1004. E
34 A CURIOUS CUSTOM.

It will be noticed that the palm trees in the foreground of

these after-glow pictures have , each of them, a palm leaf

knotted round the stem . I have heard various explanations

of this custom ; in most cases it would seem to be a matter

of superstition , the tree SO marked being placed under a

guardian spirit to prevent the cocoanuts from being stolen .

800
 CHAPTER V.

DEHIWALA .

COUPLE of miles south of Bambalapitiya is

the interesting little fishing village of Dehiwala .

Plate xxiii represents the fleet beached at sunset .

How the Singhalese fishermen in earlier times

met the difficulty presented to them by the

Buddhistic precept, which forbade them to kill any living

thing, would be interesting to know, but since about the year

1505 A.D. , they have mostly become Roman Catholics . It has

been said by some authors that they renounced Buddhism in

order to avoid the difficulties thus placed in the way of their

catching fish , but this is mere supposition and quite untenable .

When the Portuguese took possession of Colombo and the

adjoining villages along the coast, they used great brutality in

compelling the natives, who were mainly fishermen , to submit

to baptism . They even pushed their efforts far beyond these

humble people , and by threats of barbarous torture gained

outward conformity to Roman Catholicism from the highest
families under their power .

During the century which followed , a very large number

of natives became devout and earnest in their new religion .

When the Dutch in 1642 ousted the Portuguese from power,

36 SINGHALESE FISHERMEN.

and in their turn endeavoured to force their own religious

views upon the natives by imposing fearful penalties upon

those who adhered to the Roman Catholic doctrines , these

poor people for the most part had the courage to resist so

strongly that the persecution to a great extent failed in its

object, and Roman Catholicism has continued to be the faith

of the Ceylon fishermen to the present day.

The fisherman has no ambition beyond catching and selling

enough fish to enable him to live in his little palm -thatched

mud hut upon the shore . How utterly devoid he is of any

spirit of enterprise , or wish to better his condition , is clear from

the following facts , which point to a characteristic common

among the poorer classes of the Singhalese .

The Portuguese established a fish tax in Ceylon , and the

Dutch continued it ; but under the British rule it has been

discontinued, with the result that the fishermen , no longer

having duty to pay, merely catch fewer fish, choosing to do

less work rather than benefit by the remission of taxation .

This trait in the character of the natives of India and

Ceylon is a most important consideration in the fiscal policy

of the Governments . In England, taxes remitted fructify in

the pockets of the people , but no results of this kind can be

expected in Ceylon ; the certain consequence of living being

made easier by a remission of taxes is a large diminution of

production . The primary duty of a government, assuming the

responsibility of guardian to people of such a nature , is ,

therefore , to encourage industry and induce saving, by drawing

away from them by means of taxation all that can be taken

 PLATE XXIII .

A FISHING VILLAGE .
DETTA
PER
V
 MOUNT LAVINIA. 37

without discouraging effort , and to apply it to improving

communications, protecting their health , and bettering their

social condition by education , and their soil by irrigation .

From Dehiwala (Plate xxiii) , we get a good view of Mount

Lavinia Hotel , which stands on a rocky promontory at the

point of Dehiwala Bay. This handsome building, thus standing

prominently out towards the sea, was once a viceregal resi-

dence . There is a charm about its name which is fully

realized in the character of the house and its surroundings .

Being within an easy drive of Colombo , and having a well-

deserved reputation for most excellent fish dinners , combined

with good sea -bathing and freedom from mosquitoes , it is

attractive to inland residents and travellers alike .

Sea-bathing in Ceylon is generally attended with great risk ,

owing to the prevalence of sharks ; but at Mount Lavinia a

reef of rock, about a mile from the shore, keeps out the vora-

cious monsters , and renders bathing as safe as it is enjoyable .

Large numbers of the dreaded white sharks , of immense size ,

are caught by the natives a couple of miles further down the

coast. A spotted shark, caught here in 1883 , and preserved

in the Colombo Museum , measures 23 feet in length and

13 feet in girth.

The fish , which literally swarm in endless variety in the

seas of Ceylon , are remarkable for their fantastic shapes and

beautiful colours . Some 600 species have been caught , but it

is doubtful what is the real number to be found about the

island . Of those which are edible, the one most preferred is

also the most plentiful-the Seer. In size and shape this fish
38 CURIOUS FISH.

somewhat resembles the salmon, but its flesh is white . In

flavour it is by some thought to be superior to salmon ;

but however this may be, it is certain that few people tire of

Seer, although it is daily served at some meal throughout the

year.

Plate xxvi represents the fish auction which takes place each

day at Dehiwala . Very interesting to the traveller are these

sales , which take place on the sands , not only as a study of

native life , but as an exhibition of the strangest creatures

brought forth from the deep.

Among the most curious are the Saw-fish . These are some-

thing like sharks in the body, but have a huge flat beak, with

sharp teeth projecting on either side . This frightful weapon ,

in a full-grown fish of some twelve or fourteen feet long,

extends to about five feet from the head. With it these

monsters charge amongst shoals of smaller fish, slaying them

right and left, and devouring them at leisure. The saws are

sold as curiosities to travellers , and can generally be met with

in Colombo from two to five feet in length .

The red Fire-fish, sometimes brought ashore, is of a remark-

ably brilliant hue . The Sword - fish , the Walking - fish - with

curious arms and legs, by means of which it crawls along

the bottom of the sea-the Dog - fish, marked like a tiger, and

various species of the Ray, are frequently caught .

Many of the fish of Ceylon are more or less poisonous ,

but they are well known and seldom get into the market,

although serious cases of poisoning by eating fish have some-

times occurred .
 PLATE XXV.

THE BAMBALAPITIYA SHORE .

PLATE XXVI.

THE AUCTION.
THE FARBALAPIFIA SLORE.

THE AUCTION .
UNIV . OF

CALIFORNIA
 THE COCOA -PALM. 39

Plate xxv shows the coast from Bambalapitiya to Mount

Lavinia. Here sea-turtles are very plentiful . They are very

frequently captured of huge size and weight, sometimes four

or five feet in length . They differ from the land - tortoise in

having large flappers like fins , with which they hurl great
quantities of sand into the faces of their captors as soon

as they have been turned over on to their backs .

This illustration also serves to show how very close to the

water's edge the Cocoa - palm will flourish , and how gracefully

it bends towards the sea.

On an average each full-grown tree yields about one hundred

nuts in a year, and continues bearing for upwards of a century.

The fruit is gathered usually every two months . The average

height of the trees is from fifty to ninety feet , and the length
of the fronds from twelve to twenty-five feet . It is estimated

that there are two hundred and fifty millions of palm trees on

the coasts of Ceylon, fifty millions of which are bearing fruit,

and at a very low calculation they must yield more than a

thousand millions of nuts annually .

The Singhalese say that the Cocoa - nut - palm cannot live

far from the sea, or away from the sound of the human
voice . Curiously, it grows in a belt of some fifteen miles

deep from the shores , but, considering its value , it is hardly

likely to be allowed to escape the sound of the human voice.

 CHAPTER VI.

BUDDHIST TEMPLES .

NOTHER feature of Dehiwala, which is very

attractive to the traveller, is the Buddhist

Temple (Plate xxiv) . Although smaller than

some others within a short distance from

Colombo, this is the most convenient and

the pleasantest to visit , owing to its being clean and well

kept . The priests are very obliging, and readily afford any
information asked of them .

Within are to be seen huge images of Buddha , both sitting

and reclining . Mural paintings, of the crudest character, repre-

sent various legends of Buddhist mythology, and especially set

forth the various forms of punishment in store for those who

disobey the Buddhist precepts .

Before the images offerings of flowers are heaped ; these

include lotus blossoms, temple flowers, and blossoms of the

areca and cocoa palms . No worshipper comes empty- handed ;

and the fragrant perfume is sometimes almost overpowering.

Near the Temple is a preaching - house, the interior of which

is carved and very handsomely decorated . The clever designs

 PLATE XXIV .

BUDDHIST TEMPLE , AT DEHIWALA.

OF UNIV.
༠༽ ཉྩ ༔j ད¢ /6 ¢ $ NACC
 DAGOBAS. 4I

on the floor of the Temple , which the natives have worked

in mosaics from broken pieces of English pottery, are par-

ticularly striking.

The bell - shaped shrine , resting on a square base , seen in

Plate xxiv , is one of the many hundreds of Dagobas scattered

all over Ceylon, each containing some relic or saintly fragment .

They are solid masses of masonry, all of the same form, but
varying considerably in size . Some of those in the North-

Central province are immense , one of them being 357 feet

in diameter and 405 feet high. Its platform extends over eight
acres of ground . The enormous mass of bricks used in the

construction of this Dagoba alone was calculated by Sir

Emerson Tennent to be sufficient to build a town as large

as Coventry or Ipswich, or to build a wall ten feet high

from London to Edinburgh . It is nearly two thousand years

old, having been constructed B.C. 87.

There are several others almost equally large , but the

number of smaller ones at Anaradhapura is countless . Most

of them are said to have been built to enshrine some relic

of Buddha or his disciples . The ancient city of Anarad-

hapura, once the capital of Ceylon , must have been .

indeed

magnificent when these huge piles were carefully kept coated

with chunam like polished marble and their platforms were

occupied by whole regiments of sculptured elephants with

real ivory tusks .

Amongst the ruins of this once mighty city, the thousands

of huge monoliths are perhaps even more striking than the

Dagobas. They are carefully hewn out of stone or granite ,

S. 1004. F
42 ANCIENT CITIES.

For a space
and many of them are splendidly sculptured .

of sixteen square miles these wonderful ruins extend. The

exquisite carving on many of the flights of steps is as perfect

now as it was two thousand years ago . The semicircular

stones forming the first of each flight are very remarkable ;

their carving represents a lotus -blossom , round which circle

horses , elephants, bullocks, geese , etc. These are generally

called moon - stones , and are peculiar to Ceylon .

The native chronicles give minute details about the con-

struction of the Dagobas, Monasteries , and Palaces of this

marvellous city , the ruins of which are the most impressive

sight to be found in Ceylon. One monastery alone was built

to accommodate a thousand priests . There were golden pillars

in the halls , supported by golden statues of elephants, the

walls were inlaid with costly gems , the thrones were of ivory ,

and the furniture of the most elaborate description .

Oriental exaggeration may to some extent pervade these

chronicles, but such is the evidence, from the ruins still exist-

ing, of the wealth and luxury as well as the gigantic dimensions

of the city, that much can be accepted as literally true which ,

without such evidence, would have been considered mythical .

The great tanks, many thousands of acres in extent , which

watered the beautiful gardens , are existing to -day. Even the

names of the streets and the number of houses contained in

them are given in the Mahawanso , a precious native chro-

nicle. The size of the city, including the tanks and

gardens , is mentioned as covering two hundred and fifty six

square miles.
 ANCIENT CITIES. 43

This reference to the ruined city is made here, only

in connection with the history of the Dagobas , a small

specimen of which is seen in Plate xxiv. A full pictorial

description of the ruined cities of Ceylon will be given

in a later volume .
 CHAPTER VII.

MORATUWA.

HE traveller who wishes to see Singhalese life

pure and simple should take train by the sea-

side line to Moratuwa, a most interesting and

picturesque village , about five miles farther

down the coast than Mount Lavinia . Carpentry

is the occupation of the people who live here . They work in

a very primitive fashion , constructing their own tools , and

employing their toes as well as their fingers in the manipulation

of them .

Although not very skilful in designing, they are clever

workmen, and carve beautifully. Some of their cabinet work

is exquisite , but the chief industry of the village is the making

of cheap jackwood furniture . Thousands of tables , chairs ,

couches and bedsteads, are made in the course of the year

under the palm - thatched sheds on the banks of the beautiful

lagoon of Moratuwa .

These workshops , embowered in the most luxuriant foliage ,

are so unlike the furniture factories of the western world , the

work is carried on so patiently, and the surroundings are so

fascinating, that we scarcely realise that the earnest business

of life is being carried on.

 PLATE XXVII .

THREE MORATOWA MAIDS ARE WE.

:
TAREE MORATOWA MADS ARE WE.

UNIV . OF

XXVII.
 NATIVE HOSPITALITY. 45

Indeed, it is not being carried on as we understand that

term in Europe. Imagine a dozen cabinet-makers from Curtain

Road , London , being set to work under an awning of plaited

cocoa fronds , in the midst of the most enchanting surroundings ,

including dozens of bright little fairies like those in Plate xxvii ,

with teeth like pearls in a setting of smiles , and their eyes

all glistening with happiness , laughing and playing around

them . Do you think they would do much work ? No. Nor

do the Singhalese ; for there is no necessity to do so , when

a shilling a day will provide the wherewithal for children to

be as happy as these . These pretty children were three of a

crowd who welcomed us as we disembarked from our canoe

on the shore of the Moratuwa Lake. Their friends , the

carpenters , were most hospitable, and welcomed us warmly,

inviting us into their pretty little bungalows, and providing

us with native delicacies in the way of food , which certainly

were most cleverly prepared and cooked ; and being served

with scrupulous cleanliness , they looked most inviting, although

some of them did not meet with a corresponding appreciation

from our unaccustomed palate.

The gentleness and courtesy of these people cannot be

spoken of too highly, and their appearance quite chimes in

with those attributes . Slender frames , small hands and feet,

pleasing features and light brown complexions are their common

characteristics . The faces of the young Singhalese women

are pleasing, their figures are remarkably good and well - propor-

tioned, and their arms and hands are beautifully formed . An

old maid amongst them is almost unknown . They marry very

early, and are often grandmothers at thirty. After that age

46 SINGHALESE MARRIAGES.

they soon lose their graceful figures , and although they are

as long - lived as Europeans, they lose their youthful appearance

at an earlier age.

The marriage ceremony amongst the Singhalese is generally

celebrated with great festivity, lasting many days , and in some

cases even weeks. There is no occasion on which they spend

their savings more readily or freely . The widest possible circle

of acquaintance is invited to share the round of feasts and

entertainments . Moreover, the surest passport to these festive

gatherings is similarity of caste rather than of wealth or worldly

position .

A pleasant way of making an excursion to Moratuwa is to

go by the sea- side railway, and drive back in the evening by

the Galle Road, through the groves of palms and shrubs which

extend the whole distance . The light under these charming

avenues after 5 o'clock in the evening is so pleasantly softened

by the foliage that the vegetation is then seen to the greatest

advantage.

As we pass through the villages , the groups of idle and

contented folk seem quite in harmony with the features of the

landscape . The naked little urchins , as seen in Plate xxviii ,

frolic everywhere , their well - nourished condition indicating

plenty, and their merry voices happy content .

Along the road at intervals, for several miles .

outside

Colombo, there are well - kept bungalows with large gardens , or

compounds , as they are called , the habitations of merchants,

civil servants, and officers , who are occupied during the day

in the Fort at Colombo .

 PLATE XXVIII.

BAMBALAPITIYA.
11426

A 1
BAMBALAPITIYA .

UNIV . OF

xxvii.
MIA OL
 BUNGALOWS . 47

These bungalows are built in a very substantial manner of

cabook stone walls, crowned with a high-pitched roof of red

tiles , and surrounded by very deep verandahs, supported by

rows of large white pillars . The verandahs generally occupy

as much space as the rest of the bungalow, and are as a

rule well furnished with teapoys and luxurious lounging chairs .

Being cool in the early morning and in the evening, they are

used more than the rooms in the interior, as they have all

the advantages of out-door breezes with the best of protection

from the sun.

As we get nearer to Colombo, one tree- when it is in

bloom- will be especially noticed , the Plumiera, commonly

called the Temple-tree , from the custom of the Singhalese in

strewing the Buddhist temples with its beautiful and fragrant

blossoms . There are two very fine specimens standing in the

compound of a bungalow, named after them , on this road .

A couple of miles nearer to Colombo we pass through the

suburb of Kolupitiya, thickly studded with native huts and

bazaars . A stranger passing this way just after sunset would

assuredly think that there was some fair or festival taking

place , so crowded is the road, and so fully illuminated with

lamps and torches . The temperature being very hot, and the

roads red , these glaring torches and lamps , with the crowds

of dusky people in bright - coloured costumes , present a scene

as full of life and light and warmth as one could possibly

desire to see .

In every direction the suburbs of Colombo are full of

interest . I have , however , chosen to illustrate only those

48 SUBURBS OF COLOMBO .

which are most likely to be seen by the traveller who is a

temporary visitor to the capital . Nor do the pictures here

.

given represent carefully- chosen spots and scenes of native life ,

but simply the scenery and the incidents to be met with

ordinarily and every day.

308
 CHAPTER VIII .

THE KELANI VALLEY.- FROM COLOMBO TO

KADUWELLA .

HAVE said that the Galle Road is unequalled

in the intense luxuriance of vegetable life by

which it is literally embowered, but what shall

I say of the Kelani Valley ? If the dense
I
richness of leaf and blossom which environs

the Galle Road is unsurpassed , in what way can the roads

by the noble Kelani River lay claim to even greater distinc-

tion ? It is romance that lends an additional charm .

Between Colombo and Ruanwella the beauty of the land-

scape is most stirring in its romantic suggestiveness . Scene

after scene appeals to the imagination , and fancy fashions

events of the wildest fiction.

There is , however, no need to draw upon the imagination ;

some knowledge of the real events which have actually occurred

along this ancient route-the old road into the Kandyan

kingdom - lends a vivid interest to well nigh every picturesque

spot . The authentic history of this enchanting district is preg-

nant with heroic deeds , fierce battles , acts of Oriental treachery

and barbarity , and many exciting and adventurous experiences ,

both of the Portuguese and the British, during their several

attempts to subdue the power of the Kandyan kings .

S. 1004.
50 THE VORACIOUS LAND - LEECH.

At the time of these real , yet seemingly romantic exploits ,

anything like a well- constructed road was unknown . Roughly

cut jungle paths, uneven and swampy, here and there impass-

able for wheeled traffic , and intersected at frequent intervals

by wide and rapid streams ; no bridges of any kind , and

many an artfully- contrived cul de sac -these were some of the

embarrassments experienced by the invader.

The fact of the district being subject to violent thunder-

storms , which were immediately followed by the rapid rise

and overflow of the rivers , rendered camping a matter of the

most serious difficulty ; moreover, the jungle was so infested

with leeches , that it was often impossible to find any spot

secure from their molestation . Even after the greatest pre-

cautions had been taken , the soldiers sometimes presented

an appearance absolutely shocking, covered as they were with

blood, and many of them having upwards of a hundred leeches.

adhering to their bodies at one time. Men would suppose

only that they were in a profuse perspiration , but, upon

removing their garments, they would find themselves literally

covered with these voracious creatures, and bleeding from

head to foot. The land-leech here spoken of is very small

in size , and dark in colour, and is found only among the

forests of Ceylon and in South America .

Inconveniences such as these , added to the great heat ,

(the thermometer being generally at about 100° in the shady

jungle during the day, and falling to 85° at night) and the

necessity of patching up the roads through ravines and defiles ,

might well be supposed to prevent an expedition from
 PLATE XXIX .

JUNGLE IN THE KELANI VALLEY.

JUNGLE IN THE KELANI VALLEY.

UNIV . OF

xxix.
 SINGHALESE RURAL LIFE . 51

admiring those scenes, the natural beauty of which delights

the traveller of the present day, enjoying , as he does , the

advantages of splendid roads, good Rest - houses , and every

comfort ; but so romantically beautiful is the landscape in

every direction , that some of the military officers who expe-

rienced all the trials and embarrassments which we have

mentioned , described it in their journals in terms of such

glowing enthusiasm , that it is evident their privations did not

prevent them from being enchanted by the singular beauty

of the country disclosed to them by their undaunted efforts.

No such spirit of adventure is required to explore the

wilds of the Kelani Valley in the present day. The same

fascinating landscape of undulating lowlands and lovely river

views is there , but the modern traveller finds , not only

excellent roads , but always a courteous , gentle , and con-

tented population . I know of no other district in which

Singhalese rural life is more full of interest. Even a visit

to Hanwella is well repaid , although it necessitates a journey

of twenty - one miles from Colombo . The primitive methods

of the natives in the manufacture of the quaintest pottery,

their curious system of agriculture , and the peculiar phases

of their social life , are no less interesting than the beautiful

country in which they live.

The accompanying plates represent the character of the

scenery as far as Ruanwella, forty - one miles from Colombo .

No. xxix gives some idea of the varied nature of the jungle

foliage . The elegant Areca -nut Palms form one of the most

noticeable features of the district . They adorn the jungle

52 THE ARECA PALM.

on all sides. The pleasing effect produced by the beautiful

delicate stem , with its rich feathery crest, upon the surround-

ing foliage will be seen in the example here pourtrayed .

The graceful bamboos , the huge waving fronds of the plantain ,

the shapely mango , covered with the bell - shaped blossoms

of the Thunbergia creeper , all seem to form a setting in which

the elegant Areca displays its beauties to the greatest possible

advantage . It so often happens in this lovely jungle scenery

that the surroundings seem to be specially fashioned to aid

the display of the beautiful Areca .

The quality of picturesqueness, however, is not the only

virtue of this tree . It is very prolific in the production of

nuts , which grow in clusters from the stem just beneath the

crest of the palm . Previous to the development of the nuts

the tree flowers , and diffuses a delightful fragrance all around .

A cluster of nuts may be seen by the aid of a strong

reading glass in Plate xxix. In size and appearance they are

not unlike the nutmeg, and are similarly enclosed in a husk .

What becomes of them is easy to realize when it is con-

sidered that every man , woman , and child is addicted to

the habit of betel chewing, and that the areca- nut forms part

of the compound used for this purpose ; added to this , there

is an export trade in areca nuts to the amount of about

£75,000 per annum .

Another tree attracts the notice of every traveller by its

stupendous growth and gigantic fruit the Jak (Plate xxx) .

It not only grows the largest of all edible fruits, but it bears

it in prodigious quantity and in a very peculiar manner. As

 PLATE XXX .

JAK FRUIT.
JAK FRUIT.

UNIV . OF

XXX.
 THE JAK-TREE . 53

will be seen by reference to the illustration , it throws huge

pods from the trunk and the larger branches, and suspends

them by a thick short stalk . I have counted as many as

eighty of these huge fruits upon one

one tree,
tree , some of them

weighing as much as forty to fifty pounds . They are pale

green in colour, with a granulated surface. Inside the rough

skin is a soft yellow substance , and embedded in this are

some kernels about the size of a walnut .

This fruit often forms an ingredient in the native curries ,

but its flavour is not liked by Europeans . Elephants , however ,

are very fond of it , and its great size would seem to make

it an appropriate form of food for these huge beasts . After

the elephant in Plate xxxv had been photographed, he was

rewarded with a feast of this fruit, which grew plentifully on

the trees upon the banks of the river.

-
The wood of the Jak tree is largely used in Ceylon for
articles of furniture . In colour it is a bright yellow when

new, but after it has become well - seasoned it darkens very

considerably, and if kept well polished it forms by no means

a bad substitute for mahogany.

One circumstance should make this district a very popular

resort for travellers , who too frequently see only the towns ,

and leave Ceylon without an idea of pure Singhalese life , or

of the beauty of the tropical scenery of the low · country

valleys. I refer to the excellent Rest - houses , which are

stationed at convenient intervals , and which provide suitable

food and accommodation to the visitor .
54 THE ROYAL MAIL COACH .

I cannot say quite so much in favour of the Coach ser-

vice , although it is interesting in its way, and at any rate

provides some excitement , pleasant enough for those who are

not of a nervous disposition , albeit somewhat uninviting to

the timid. Let me describe the methods peculiar to the

Ceylon Coach .

When a horse's bolting propensities are found to be in-

curable, when his proneness to kick the tiles out of his stable

roof has become a nuisance and expense , when he has com-

pletely smashed his owner's carriage , and knocked down the

columns of his portico , and, by way of varying his escapades ,

has tossed his rider over a cinnamon bush, and has escaped

from the saddle without breaking the girths , with the addi-

tional trifle of driving his hoofs into the lungs of the

muttu, or horse-keeper, he is thereupon considered to have

earned his promotion to the service of Her Majesty's Royal

Mail Coach .

Personally I should be sorry if this were not the case ;

for a vicious horse affords me keen enjoyment. The Royal

Mail Coach itself is not subject to damage , and even if the

passengers are , the clever boys, whose business it is to

persuade the gentle brutes to draw the coach, generally

manage to contrive that no one gets hurt .

The entertainment provided for the passengers is , therefore ,

somewhat after the following fashion : A start is made from

the General Post Office in Colombo with a coach something

after the style of a huge waggonette , roughly constructed but

of a solid character , and surmounted by a large canopy,

 KADUWELLA REST-HOUSE . 55

which serves as a protection from the sun , and is supported

by iron rods affixed to the sides of the vehicle .

To this machine, for the first stage of the journey, a pair

of horses of only third - rate vicious propensity are attached

by means of scanty and unsafe - looking odd pieces of leather
and iron links , which in some remote past may have done

duty as good harness, but which now bear little resemblance

to that commodity.

It would not do to start from the capital with horses

of first - class coaching characteristics because the way lies for

three miles through the thickly populated suburbs of Colombo ;

so the milder brutes , which have been partially tamed , are first
hooked to the bar. They usually show a little sport at

starting, but when once away the freight of passengers and

post - bags is carried safely through the Pettah, and onwards

.

at a frenzied gallop through most bewitching scenery to

Kaduwella , the end of the first stage .

So far there is a choice of roads ; one along the south

bank of the Kelani River , where the views are surprisingly

romantic and beautiful ; the other, a more direct but rather

less picturesque road , by which the coach usually goes .

Kaduwella is charmingly situated, and , like almost every

village of importance in the Kelani Valley, has a delightful

Rest - house , which is situated on a steep red rock almost

overhanging the river, and commanding one of the many

delicious views, where the noble Kelani winds round in

various directions, and displays its undulating banks, always

covered with the choicest foliage.

56 A CAVE TEMPLE.

Here one may sit and watch the quaint barges and rafts

as they pass, laden with produce for Colombo , or groups of

natives, and cattle crossing all day long by the ferry close by.

And whilst comfortably reclining in the charming verandah of

this excellent hostelry, with peaceful surroundings and a sense

of the most complete luxury and security, one may reflect

upon the early days of the British possession , when Kadu-

wella was reached only by strong and narrow passes , with

the very steep banks of the river to the left, and hills covered

with dense jungle to the right, while in front were breastworks

which could not be approached save through deep and hollow

defiles .

The hostile Kandyans here made a stand against the Dutch ,

cutting off four hundred of their troops . The British , too , lost

many men near this spot before the natives were subdued .

There is a famous Cave -Temple of the Buddhists at Kadu-

wella , very picturesquely situated under an enormous granite

rock in the midst of magnificent trees and shrubs . It has a

fine pillared hall , the bare rock forming the wall at the back.

The usual colossal image of Buddha is carved in the granite ,

and is a good specimen of such figures .

Behind the Temple a magnificent view is to be obtained

from the top of the cliff over the hilly country. The jungle is

thickly inhabited by troops of black monkeys , flocks of green

parrots, huge lizards like young crocodiles, and myriads of

smaller creatures . Indeed the zoologist , the botanist, and the

artist need go no further for weeks ; but we must return

to the Royal Mail Coach .

 PLATE XXXI .

FROM KARAWANELLA BRIDGE .

KARAWANELLA
FROM
FRIT
(GP

O
CALIFOR
WIND
BOLIAD
 HOW TO START A COACH HORSE . 57

The quadrupeds of third-rate vice which brought us to

Kaduwella have been placed in their stalls, and we now find

a pair of the very first class , standing like lambs in the

road . The passengers must be seated before these amiable

brutes are brought blind-folded into position . All the weight

that can be given to the Royal Mail is now in full requisi-

tion . The coachman takes his seat , but the running boys have

still got hold of the horses . The off-side " gee " is deceived into

approaching the coach , but only so far as the end of the pole ,

where he objects to any other position than that of facing the

coachman ; so while he is in that attitude , the chain is attached

to the pole , and the near- side trace hooked to the bar. All

efforts to move his hind quarters into position are unavailing.

The near-side beast is now appealed to . He absolutely refuses

to approach within some yards of Her Majesty's Mails , and

so one of the tired horses , which has done the first stage , is

again brought out and placed alongside of his recalcitrant

successor at some distance behind the coach. This trick

deceives him into thinking that he is going back to his stall .

He now moves on fairly into position , and the traces are

promptly hooked . The other horse remains as he was , facing

the coachman . The near horse backs , but the wheels are held

by coolies. The boy then slips a coir rope round his hind

fetlock joints, and with a sharp friction endeavours to excite

him onwards , but all to no purpose ; he rears , bites at his

keeper, and tries his best to back the coach into the ditch . As

a last resource , a fire - stick is resorted to, and with fire at his

heels he makes a frenzied bound , which starts the coach - wheels

rolling, and drags the off- side horse almost into position , and

off they go at full gallop , but with only three traces as yet
S. 1004. H
58 THE RUNNING BOYS.

hooked to the bar ; the fourth remains in the hands of the boy

who runs with the off-side horse, and this brute will not close.

in to the pole and give him a chance of hooking it on . After

about half a mile , however, this is accomplished . The running

boys , who are now getting pumped by the terrific pace, fall

back, and spring on the coach-wheels , where , if the coach is full

of passengers , they rest , holding on to the iron rods which

support the canopy, and changing feet as the rapidly revolving

hub gets hot by friction . The hubs of the coach-wheels are in

this way brightly burnished by the boys springing on to them

for a rest while the coach is rattling along.

The endurance of these boys in running with the horses is

as amazing as their agility in springing upon the hubs of the

wheels, and in bounding off to the horses again, in case of

any danger, when going at the utmost pace . The coachman

certainly holds a pair of reins , which are handed to him as

soon as the animals can be got into going position , but

compared to the work of these young horse -tamers , his duties

are of little account .

The time lost in starting is soon recovered by the pace, for

the more disinclined the horses have been to start, the faster

do they go when once they are off ; and it frequently happens.

that they do not slacken their furious gallop until the end of
their stage is reached .

Travellers who, from a disposition to nervousness , are unable

to appreciate the novel method of transit employed for the con-

veyance of passengers by Her Majesty's Royal Mail Coach, can

adopt the alternative of journeying by Bullock Cart . This

 BULLOCK COACHES. 59

mode of travelling is free from the excitement inseparable from

sitting behind untamed horses, and has not only the advantage

of perfect security (except, of course , when the Royal Mail

comes into sight) , but also gives ample time for the enjoyment

of the various quaint scenes of rural life to be met with at

frequent intervals along the road.

 CHAPTER IX.

THE KELANI VALLEY (continued ) .- FROM KADUWELLA

TO RUANWELLA .

HE large village of Hanwella is reached at the

twenty - first mile - post from Colombo . Here ,

as at Kaduwella, the Rest - house commands a

beautiful view of the river. Enchanting as every

acre of this district is , the river views are

surpassingly lovely, especially the one from Karuwanella Bridge.

This is about the farthest point to which the Portuguese, and

the Dutch after them, ever managed to penetrate . Here many

fierce battles were fought against the Kandyans , with the result

of much signing of treaties and truces , which were seldom or

never adhered to on the part of the native defenders of the

interior.

The central districts of Ceylon were at that time well-nigh

impenetrable owing to the density of the jungle and the entire

absence of anything like good roads . Moreover, the then

malarious character of the forests rendered it impossible for

European troops to hold their positions for any length of time

without being decimated by disease.

There are plenty of heights from which to view the diver-

sified character of the country. Immense perpendicular ledges

of rocks (see Plate xxxiii) rise from the forest , rearing their
 PLATE XXXII .

THE KELANI RIVER .

THE
.
RIVER
KELANI

40
WING
CALIFOR
 A BOUNTIFUL CLIMATE. 61

stupendous heads above the thickets of palm and bamboo . But

even the rocks of granite , which appear to be upheaved in giant

masses all over the forest , supply nourishment for luxuriant

vegetation . Such is the nature of this bountiful climate , that

the most solid rock is forced to decompose in sufficient degree

to nourish some of the most beautiful forms of vegetable life .

That great endowment of the human race-the soil-is seen in

this bounteous land to be actually produced upon these rocky

eminences by the hand of Nature herself. An absolutely bare

rock is very seldom met with . The abundant rainfall and the

heat combined seem to pulverise the hardest surface, and to

bring out latent forces from which springs food for man and
beast.

Exhaustion of the soil is a doctrine much preached in Ceylon ,

in connection with the great coffee failures , and there is no

doubt of the truth contained in it. Fertility has often been

destroyed outright by the wanton abuse of nature ; and, even in

this fertile land, where the climatic elements are so favourable

to production , the enterprising European planter frequently

miscalculates the amount which nature is prepared to bestow.

There remains , however, the fact that even the undecomposed

rocks constitute a wonderful store , from which human wants are

being supplied by process of nature , though slowly and in small

degree. It is only the already decomposed surface that is

subject to immediate exhaustion ; there still remains a fund for

future supplies , and upon such a natural endowment the human

race has lived for ages past.

The reward of human labour is, however, very apparent as

we proceed further into the district of the Kelani Valley.

62 RUANWELLA .

After passing through the beautiful village of Avisawella , where ,

by the way, there is such a comfortable Rest- house as to

deserve the name of a well - appointed hotel , the scenery changes

somewhat in character. It is not less bold, but the lands are

more cultivated . Within the last ten years thousands of acres

have been planted with tea , pretty bungalows have been erected

on the various estates, and the whole surroundings have assumed

the character of commercial enterprise.

Of the various places which the traveller will find most

interesting to visit , perhaps none will prove more attractive

than Ruanwella. The Rest- house and its grounds , which are

on the site of a ruined Fort , are in themselves full of interest ,

and will be found so conducive to comfort as to make the

visitor who is not pressed for time very loath to leave . A fine

archway, the entrance of the ancient Fort , is still preserved and

forms an interesting feature in the gardens . Near to this is

one of the most remarkable Mango trees in Ceylon , about ninety

feet high, and more than that in circumference ; it is literally

covered with the Thunbergia creeper, which , when in bloom ,

presents a magnificent appearance . In the grounds , too, are to

be seen very fine specimens of Cocoa trees , graceful Papaws ,

many large Crotons , and a large variety of gorgeous plants

which flourish here in great perfection .

The Papaw grows to a height of about fifteen or twenty

feet . Its stem is slender and straight, covered by a diamond-

shaped pattern, and surmounted by a crown of very prettily

formed leaves , beneath which grow bunches of fruit, in shape

resembling a melon . The fruit is edible, and indeed much

 PLATE XXXIII.

ON RUANWELLA TEA ESTATE.

ON RUANWELLA TEA ESTATE.

UNIV . OF

CALIFORNIA

xxxii.
 RIVER TRAFFIC . 63

liked by some Europeans . It is said to be a very valuable

aid to digestion , the amount of pepsine contained in it being

highly beneficial to dyspeptics .

A pleasant stroll from this spot , through shady groves of

Areca , Cocoa, and other palms , brings us to a part of the river

which is not only very picturesque but also commercially

important. Here we can see the quaint produce boats and

the curiously constructed bamboo rafts being laden with freight

for the port of Colombo .

A glance at the picture (Plate xxxii ) will enable the reader

to see the chests of tea , which have already been placed in the

central boat, and by the aid of a reading glass even the

shipping marks , denoting the destination of the chests and the

nature of their contents, can be distinguished .

From this point to Colombo the distance by water is about

sixty miles ; and such is the rapidity of the current after the

frequent and very heavy rainfalls, that these boats are able to

reach Colombo in one day ; the only exertion required of the

boatman being such careful steering as to keep clear of rocks ,

trees , and sand - banks . The return journey is , however, a

most arduous task, and demands great labour and perseverance

for many days . This facility of conveyance is of the greatest

benefit to the planters , especially in point of expense .

The presence of crocodiles , which infest all the low- country

rivers of Ceylon , seems not to deter the natives from indulging

in the exercise of swimming, of which they are particularly fond .

In the plate last referred to, a man may be seen thus enjoying
64 CROCODILES.

himself in mid-stream . During the expeditions made by the

Dutch, many soldiers are said to have been dragged into ' the

river here by crocodiles , and an authentic account is given of a

private of the 19th British Regiment being suddenly seized and

dragged down by one of these voracious brutes whilst engaged

in washing his clothes from the bank.

Crocodiles of immense size still infest the Kelani ; but they

are not so numerous as they were earlier in the century. There

is a trustworthy record extant of one of these formidable reptiles ,

twenty feet in length and as thick in the body as a horse ,

being captured by a native near Ruanwella , and sent to the

Lieutenant - Governor at Colombo . It required two carts,

placed one behind the other, and drawn by eight bullocks , to

transport its huge body, while the tail still trailed along the

ground . On being opened , it was found to contain the head

and one arm of a native man yet undigested .

During fine weather the river can be forded at this point ,

and it is quite worth while for any traveller who visits Ruan-

wella to cross over and follow the path, seen in Plate xxxv ,

which leads to Ruanwella Tea Estate . A visit to this beauti-

fully situated plantation , opened up by Mr. H. Drummond

Deane and the Hon . T. North Christie , a member of the

Legislative Council of Ceylon , is in itself worthy of the journey .

The wonderful change that has been made from jungle to

orderly cultivation can scarcely be realized when walking along

the excellently planned roads , and gazing upon the flourish-

ing tea-bushes , where only four years ago all was a mass of

wild and almost impenetrable thicket . A glance at Plate xxxiv

 PLATE XXXIV .

RUANWELLA TEA ESTATE .

2721
.
KUTAME
TEA
RUANWELLA

WIND
 RUANWELLA ESTATE . 65

will enable the reader to see something of what the ability and

energy of English tea planters can accomplish in so short

a time.

The most unmistakeable open-hearted welcome and generous

hospitality are proverbial characteristics of the Ceylon planter,

and although the courteous Superintendent of Ruanwella Estate

may perhaps not thank me for publishing the fact to the world,

he possesses these qualities in a degree which is most fortunate.

for any visitor who sets foot upon the excellent and romantically

positioned tea property under his charge. A walk round the

estate, with a pleasant chat on the methods of tea cultivatio.

n

and manufacture, and many other subjects suggested by the

varied and delightful surroundings, is an agreeable preliminary

to a call at the Bungalow, which is situated on a pretty knoll

overlooking the cultivated part of the estate . Hard by this

dwelling grow in profusion all manner of delicious fruits , more

especially magnificent pine-apples, the finest both in appearance

and flavour that can be met with in Ceylon , many of them

growing to a girth of twenty- four inches . Most grateful it is to

feast on such luscious fruit , after the expenditure of energy

demanded by the steep banks and rocky eminences over which

we have climbed , and this , too, with the temperature at 90° in

the shade .

Some conception can be formed of the rugged beauty of the

yet uncultivated portion of Ruanwella Estate, by reference to

Plate xxxiii . Precious stones were found here in abundance in

the days of the Kandyan kingdom . The name Ruanwella

indicates " a place of precious stones . " Among the gravel and

in the sandy beds of the streams , it is easy to find tiny crystals

S. 1004. I
66 THE MANUFACTURE OF TEA .

of ruby and sapphire , but without considerable plant and very

careful working it is difficult to obtain anything of commercial

value. Even in cases where there is no doubt of the existence
.

of precious stones in considerable numbers , it is seldom that the

European estate-owner cares to invest any of his capital in

gemming operations ; he prefers to apply it to uses which will

yield him a more certain return .

Tea flourishes splendidly in the Kelani Valley, and the yield

per acre is very much larger than in the mountain districts , but

the flavour, as might be expected from the forcing nature of the

lowland climate and temperature , is stronger than that of tea

grown at a higher elevation.

By referring to Plate xxxiv it will be seen that the bushes

are planted in lines at regular distances apart . Manufactured

tea consists of the young shoots , which are plucked and

conveyed to the factory, where they undergo a process of

withering and firing. Every year the bushes are pruned down
.

to a height of about two feet ; and eight weeks after this the

first " flush " of young shoots is ready for plucking . The rapid

growth of the plant in this tropical climate produces new

" flushes " at intervals of about ten days .

The plucking is done by coolies , both men and women , who

carry baskets upon their backs suspended by means of girdles

from the crown of the head ; and into these baskets they cast

the tender half- developed leaves over their shoulders. Twice

every day the baskets are carried to the factory, the leaf is then
weighed and spread out upon shelves of canvas to wither. The

withering rooms are kept at a high temperature, and as dry as

 PLATE XXXV.

FORDING THE KELANI AT RUANWELLA .

FORDING THE KELANI AT RUANWELLA.

UNIV . OF

XXXV.
AIMBOLIAD
 VARIETIES OF TEA . 67

possible . The next process is to place the withered leaf in a

rolling machine, an ingenious appliance which twists and bruises

the leaves, freely bringing out the juice . They are then placed

in trays to ferment , when they change to a greenish copper

colour. Successful fermentation depends in no small degree

upon the knowledge and skill of the planter in the art

of tea-making, and this also greatly determines the quality of

the tea .

A further stage in the manufacture has to be reached before

the leaf becomes tea ; this is a process of firing, which is

carried out by placing the withered and fermented leaves upon

trays, in a large iron drying machine , until it is thoroughly

crisp and dried .

So far the various sizes and qualities of leaf remain mixed

in one mass , and it is not until it has all become manu-

factured tea that the varieties known as Pekoe tips , Pekoe ,

broken Pekoe , Souchong, Congou , and dust , are sorted and

separated from each other. The broken Pekoe consists chiefly

of the opening bud of the leaf, and gives the strongest tea ; it is ,

therefore, usually mixed with the coarser leaf, termed Souchong,

before it reaches the consumer.

It is fortunate for the owner of a tea estate when the factory

can be so placed as to obtain water power for driving the roller ,

as the expense of keeping engines at work by means of fuel

adds greatly to the cost of manufacture . The method of

utilizing water power will be seen in Plate xxxiv.

There is no doubt that the unparalleled success of tea-

planting in Ceylon is in a great measure due to this pure and

68 THE RATAMAHATMAYA'S ELEPHANT.

wholesome method of manufacture, which contrasts greatly with

the methods adopted in China and Japan , where such ingre-

dients as Prussian blue and soapstone are often used to improve

the appearance of the finished article ; notorious , too , is the

Chinese custom of manufacturing ordinary tea from leaf-dust by

an admixture of clay, and manipulating once -used tea leaves in

such a way that they can again be sold as genuine tea .

Besides the advantages which Ruanwella affords of a plea-

sant abode for the traveller, and an opportunity of seeing the

perfection of tea cultivation , the sportsman also , and the

naturalist will here find plenty of pleasurable occupation . It

is quite worth one's while to make the acquaintance of the

Ratamahatmaya, or native chief of the district . He is very

willing to oblige with either assistance or information , and as

he is able to place a splendidly- trained elephant at the service

of his visitors , his aid is of no small advantage . Of this gentle

and useful animal I have given a faithful representation in

Plate xxxv .

The jungle on all sides abounds in wild animals, birds ,

reptiles and insects , many of the last-named being formidable

enemies to man . Monkeys of the Wanderoo tribe are very

numerous ; there are several species of varying sizes . The

tiny little fellow whose portrait I give in Plate xxxvi was

captured in the following curious manner : -It had ridden on

its mother's back to the end of a huge bough that overhung

the Kelani River, but so rapidly was the river rising , in con-

sequence of recent heavy rains, that when the mother was

about to return to the jungle, she observed that a downward

curve in the centre of the bough was by this time under

 PLATE XXXVI .

COMPANIONS.
TO
COMPANIONS.

UNIV. OF

CALIFORNIA
CYTILOKMA
 A MONKEY WITH A " TALE." 69

water, thus cutting off her retreat. For a moment she

hesitated ; then made a flying leap over the water that

covered the bough, but her baby, being unprepared for this

event , fell into the stream , from which it was immediately

rescued by a Singhalese man who happened to witness this

interesting little scene . The baby monkey soon became deeply

attached to her rescuer, whom she voluntarily accompanies at

all times , unless she has been tied up . The Singhalese man

(in Plate xxxvi) is a domestic servant , employed in the capacity

of cook by the officer in charge of the Government Public

Works of the district .

Should this short description of the Kelani Valley induce

others , who are as yet unacquainted with its many attractions ,

to go and see it for themselves , I have no doubt that they

will agree in their verdict that the scenery is exquisite, and

that the scenes of rural native life are deeply interesting ;

whilst another feature, peculiar to Ceylon, and unique in

itself, will be strikingly manifest, -I mean the fact that the

European planting community consists entirely of gentlemen .

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