The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-07-25
PEOPLE IN eRYLoN.
EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER BY Ex.
MAYOR HARRISON.

CatiNe boAh--sA COtaeAy EeOpte--OOhh
Bull and the bullock Cart.
Ceylon has several distinct races living
upon it. Long before history began to be
written it had prosperous people, and contir-
ued so for ages, 1t has old cities, deserted
ages ago, and great tanks for gathering and
holding waterfor irrigation purposes, which
show that portions of the island, now wild
and waste, were once teeming with popula-
ton. The ruins and the tanks are all that is
left as a record of the people who built them.
Even the descendants of these people have
dwindled down to little over 1000 and are
wild sayages, stunning civilized men. The
Singalese who have Persian and Arab blood
in them, arc rather fair, delicate in form and
organization; expert manipulators In jewelry
and other nice worl--all Buddhists, and
number less than 100000. They were,
many generations ago, overrun by Tamila--
vigorous, hardy, nearly black men from
southern mdia-who today number abou,
two-thirds of a million, andi are the hard
workers and Hindoo in religion. The mixed
blood-called Eurasians and Burghers-are
the descendants of the Portuguese, who held
the island for nearly century and half,
and of the Dutch, who controlled for cen
fury and third, and numbers less than 20,
600 These, with many Singalese, are Catho-
lies mostly. Other peoples swell the popula-
ton TO 100000, and are governed by less
than 5000 Europeans. These latter are
planters and officials. Eurasians and full
natives have cinnamon gardens.
By the way, this plant when cultivated is
kept down to small shrub not over eight
feet high In the forest it grows to pretty
tree and as large, say, as the pear A garden
is very pretty, the foliage being very glossy
and OF light, cheerful green. The bark on
the green stem, while spicy, has not the pun
gency Of the cured article. The sun in cur
ing seems to bring it out. l will here state
that the growing tea leaf has no more flavor
than an ordinary tasteless weed, and gives no
promises to the uninitiated of that wonderful
quality which makes it the sweetest friend
and kindliest solace of so many countless
millions OF human beings. 1t has not its
properties brought out by sun heat, but by
fire. few OF the iine brands In China are
sun cured, but do not reach the general
markets, being confined TO the lardefs OF very
rich Celestial connoisseurs Cinnamon and
rico cultivation Is confined to the low, hot
lands of the island, and is in the hands
generally of the old Hingalese population.
They and tho Tamils are the fishermen
A NATIVE BOAT
Tho native boat is a queer thing-a log OF
wood from ten to twenty feet long, turned
upward at each end, is dug out into shallow
trough, rarely over a foot wide. On top of
this the boat is carried with boards to a
length twice as great as the solid keel below,
and say two or so feet high, but no wider.
From this craft springs two bent poles to a
light log Of wood from six to ten feet Off.
This out rigger makes the queer catamaran,
one Of the safest small boats which run out
into the sea. The native sits with one foot
IN and one outside OF the narrow trough, and
rows or sails far out ON the deep, and can
brave storm the ordinary long boat could
not survive. They are rowed rapidly and
sail eight to twelve knots an hour. Two
small platforms, say four feet square, are
built on top On this the boatman carries
his freight aud tine fisherman his nets. lam
told the fisherman frequently goes out forty
miles to sea-
All along the coast the natives are semi
amphibous. A number of half grown boys
surround steamers coming and going ON
queer little RATS built of three buoyant sticks
ten TO twelve feet long and dashed together.
Upon this the half naked fellows sit on their
legs and paddle very rapidly. So expert are
they ut diving that silver coin, thrown
thirty TO fifty feet off, never reaches the bot
tom before it is caught. Passengers get sew
eral of these boats around in senicircio
from the steamer, then drop a small coin
close TO the ship. The boys spring toward II
and swim up to the point, then go headlong
below, squirming like frogs, after the shin
ing metal. They win even get q copper, IL
not very far Off But they like the white
ness of the purer metal. These boys are all
quite dark, but the bottoms OF their feet are
almost white. Why's
The Singalese are n comedy looking race,
with features quite effeminate in their deli
cacy. This appearance Is further increased
by their long hair, tied in knot at the back
OF the head and held smooth by light tor
toiso comb, such as young girls at homo wore
when was young. The dress Is the universal
band of cloth, here left to fall like a skirt; q
Jacket is worn in the cities--in the country
and villages only d cotton cloth Is thrown
over the shoulders. The women have, 10 a
great extent, adopted semi European cos.
tune. AT least those saw had.
THE BULLOCK CART.
The Tamil population dress as the southern
Indian does By the way, tho tea aud coffee
estates are worked and tho heavy labor about
cities is done by coolies brought annually
from the coast of southern India, from NAL
nbar to Madras. This region furnishes coolie
labor west Of Singapore, as the Chinese do
cast thereof.
This lends me TO speak Of another mode of
conveyance here and in India-the bullock
cart The Indian bullocks all have the hump,
but in other respects they vnry in form and
appearance as much as the different breeds OF
our cattle-in some localities very tall and
long horned. havo seen O yoke over six
teen hands high, and have seen horns over
three feet in length. These horns In whole
districts point up and toward each other.
In some localities they spread and often bend
downward. In Burmah the or Is fair sized,
but his horns are very short. In Ceylon he
~ very small, compactly built, and has little
nubs for horns He Is very pretty and very
quick In motion. At Kalutara, near the
south end Of the island, three of us rode In
n little cart drawn by bullock forty one
inches high and not much longer from hii
front to the root Of his tail. The brave littl,
fellow trotted at gait Of say six or sever
miles an hour When, after steady pull
he felt tired, he would give quick back mo
ton, as much as to say hold on.
He is an admirable beast for villages II,
requires no harness. His little yoke is fast
ened to the ends of the shafts; drop 1t ovel
his neck, and tie cord to keep him from
throwing it Off, and he Is ready. But th,
Englishman rarely deigns 10 use him. VIVA
a compound John Bull is. He loves liberty
and yet is perfect slave to public opinion
He hates and abuses Hindoo caste, and yet Il
a worshiper of his own caste He must b.
IN good form or his caste is lost. ] said to Q
party, "Why do you not use the pretty bul
lock cartp "Oh, VIC can't do that. The ma
tives use it. We walk II we can't get pony
1t would not do" | could not help saying
"Oh, you miserable humbugs You bully
the natives and wietched public opinion bull
lies you.n-C Carter II. Harrison in Chicago
Times
The Sanitary Farmer.