MR LOCK'S TOUR.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12459, 8 February 1909, Page 3

MR LOCK'S TOUR.

Continuing my wanderings m Colombo, I passed what appeared from the exterior to be a fine Tamil temple, and naturally I made for the entrancej a? I intended to make an inspection.' I was : stopped somewhat abruptly by a 'priest, who made me understand' in broken English that I would liot be admitted unless I first took off my boots, and having had experience in regard to the character of a number of these "Tamils," I didn.'t feel inclined to take the risk, being afraid "that I would not get my boots back. This reminds me of a street preacher, who, after sending his hat round, and noticing when it returned that there were only a few buttons in it, remarked, '"Among a crew, like you, I thank I got my hat back." One most interesting city I missed, 'and that is Kandy, Ayhere the wonderful "Temple of the Sacred Tooth!' is located. There proved to be sufficient time, but the officers of these ' German steamers will not taKe any_re_sp.Qnsibility if you ask them if you have time to visit a certain ; ' place,' .or,. go overland by strain and join/tbft Rteanier at another port They say, "We don't?, know" (even, when jt is as .cl.eaf .' as p. pike staff) ;.'■ and "We cafi't say,^."You do so at your own risk," etc I Ipn.rtlpd that: tTifli' tpn. - irirliißtrr. n'f -tii^ wTinip . itjlnVid gave employment" to'abbut 400.000 Ta--WJ Tinfl '■hrnn^V .nvp-r^/ih -rViijJ lions of British" capital into the island and f ourid p.mployr^W'nt ' for •■ bet'wlppn 1 twn and thrpe 'thdnsoVirl ' : whites. >\monK them are the planters, whom the coolies : almost worship,' at all events they sometiraeslkiss' the- plant-. ers'^Jboots. \ Thera: were also, under cultivation very large areas' of rubber, Hce,_ cinnamon, quinine, cocoa : nuts, tobacco, etc. - ' There' are'ailpa-r---entlyl'maijy^ castes in; Colonibo' .itself; for .I; noticed cfuite.a ntimber. of natives parading: about ' with; daubs of stain of different coloxirs, and on various positions* 'ori ' their "faces: ; This, .1 understood, acted as a 'charm, making ' them immune ' from plague, : sickness," and ■practically all., diseases. Sunday' was' just about., as lively. as an .y'other day, nearly all the' shops • being" open," and the post office was open in all, branches, save the "Parcels department.!';': The; native shopkeepers and itinerant vencyofs are the _ most pushing salesmen I met during my travels; they were such persistent '.'battlers" that many people purchased articles just to get rid of them ; but they took a" lot of Choking off. Their consciences, oh my { These were of such an elastic character they could look you calmlyin the face and ask ten the . amount they were prepared to take for an article. It was quite common .for them to demand' Bs 'or '9s foij a brooch, and eventuially accept Is 6d or 2s for it. The trouble'was ; that unless you were some sort of a judge you were liable to pay treble too much. A friend of mine, fared badly in one of- his transactions; He ' purchased three ; "tiger' teeth" -brooches (made : in Birmingham I think) for 7s 6d. A few minutes later he was going to show them? to me when,beholdi, they had gone:' "never to' come back any more:" He got greatly '!chaffed" at the time, and [ afterwards, 'when the passengers' were; Comparing; ; their purchases : at one, store, a number of officers were . inspecting some precious stones, with" a view of .making ppurr r chases". lOn the stones; beihgf.hahded back, the -merchant said, there was a valuable amethyst missing. Though all denied having itj the .man. was persistent, arid was soon rewarded by its discovery in -the ear of 6ne of the party: 1 It..had.been i placed too far in/ and tEe man hadto be taken to the. , surgery of a doctor, who" was enabled to extract r it. ' •- Soon; after the'::operation, -this .light fingered party, was' carried on. board the steamer, .and in a few days could' be seen' walking 'about 'with 'his head bandaged- : yet lie was fortunate . comparatively few knew what was the cause of. his , indisposition. ' Whilst in the. city I yisite'd an up-to-date "bartier' shop, and hid a. luxurious shave' and' shampoo. ri The; Cingalese are" very expert, in this kind" of business. .Electnc, :f ans iwere in operation;, and patent ; hair-brushing "machines, etc;,.- also, driven' by ; electricity. The natives seemed to' be fond ,of chewing a/mixture composed of arica .nut, "lime, tobacco, /"and betel leaf^ : the taste of the mixture to a Euro.pean being simply awful. It was surprising to firid that such; large numbers could speak sufficieni EhglisH to make thomselvesunderstood. A still greater number could swear in English with force iand| apparent satisfaction to; themselves.; I' had finished the day's- work pf sight-seeing, and stood on the pier awaiting the launch to carry us to the steamer, when my attention was called to a peculiar sight, which caused some speculation until we got within closer range,, when it proved to be coolies, carrying .empty coal sacks from the' landing to the coal heap, a hundred yards or so off. The carriers were almost bent double (as in "leap frog"), whilst others, in a very dexterous manner, were throwing sacks, which piled on their, backs, until each; one .had as much as he could stagger under, then away he went with his burden, looking more like a camel than a 'human being. There was a continuous procession of these men. We reached the steamer, and I felt glad that she had waited ,at this place so long. I had no regrets, br™ that 1 did not visit Kandy, but I "had seen almost all the things of special interest, even vto ;150 year old „t urtles in; the.c innamon gardens/ /the'- .'big centipedies,; ;and*.r. magnificent -cqllec-. tipn' of 4 bu;tterflie^ as well ■ -asjx "th^. rare' exhibits; tq be found tin .the : mvi sejum',?. including the . 'carved goddess] with'' 'eight* Srtas, an.: Indian god with r foiir arms, the ancient water-clocks/ that measured the time by the dripping ;of tfie water, paintings said i-r be" 1400 "years old, etc., but wnat i&terested me most was to; watch the various ■ phases of 'native- life.- in the city. : At 6 p.m. the steamer gave a blitst of her "awful" -whistle (whicli some said :was almost loud enough to, wake the dead)— it was a real Ger- : man/ .'ln a few' minutes we were outward bound for Aden, . a six days' run judging from the ;.' rate we . had;; been : previously ■travelling, viz., from- 326 to; 350, miles per day. As we passed the breakwater; a. number of ; pearl-. 'fishing vessels were met, ;:laden with shells^ .The ; ? first- ;eyenmg, .tpass^d; quickly j J as- pa'ssenger^ were reviewing; thjeir ' experiences v/th'ey.' h ad'^ 'whilst -on' •shore.- '■ I learned that the- steamer" had taken on board, besides 80 barrels 6f lager, beer, a good many tons of ice; and' a : number of the ' sacred bulls, previously! referred "to." These were to^be. ; slaughtered ; fpr^us "on ; the , voyage: ..Ttough' bur steamer 'was in ; many respects an up-to-date one/yet shW'had >rip freezing' r planti but only a ippld :storage.. I .robm.' Although the weather--, was '. hot, over .". 12001bs of- nleat was consumed: per day. j The, voyage ;was practfc^lly : uneyeatful," the : sea.' being calm iind' the : ' ! sunsets very ;;beautif ul. , Games .> of. skatfes, quoitsj'feards,. -with the drinking, of 'lage'i-VDer, and wagering ■•" on the stea'iner.'Siday runs, or listenings to the ?b&.iid- playing" and crew singing the H'Pef ''Woeht bir,lthine^^ and other Gemai patnoticvliongs, and- a .stray argument flow •; dtfdj/agaifiL/ f time ? wasfpas'sediiway without much 'mbhotony. ' ' . (To be Continued). ' "V