The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31

81, 1892.
tive foliage. which. however. casts q deeper
shadow. The jak produces the largest Of all
edible fruits. one tree bearing perhaps hun
dred. OF which some will weigh as much as
sixty pounds. An extraordinary popularity
| Hos In the manner OF carrying these fruits.
which hang by short. thick stalks, not only
from the actual trunk OF tho tree and the
thickest part ofth bouGhs but som etimos even
from the roots. Tho fruit is enclosed in a
rough. green skin. and when ripe has in
Its Interior thick yellow substance which is
eaten raw In this substance are embedded q
number OF kernels. each the size OF a largo H.
bert. These. II the fruit is gathered unripe.
| are either roasted or used as O vegetable curry
much appreciated by the natives. though not
in favor with Europeans. We may add that
tho wood OF the jak tree is highly valued by
carpenters for making furniture. and that q
| strong bird lime Is prepared from It's milky
Juice. This milk ia also used as varnish for
the very Gaudily painted pottery ware peculiar
to Handy.
| Randy stands 1.6sO feet above the level Of
| the sea- and forms a hallway house between
| Colombo on tho sea level and Euwara Elya.
which has an elevation OF 8.240 feet. It Is q
| charmingly situated little town. clustering
round an artificial tank. and surrounded on
every side by beautiful hills. Here the upland
vegetation meets that OF the plain. and all the
lovely varieties OF foliage peculiar to ench
mingle In rank luxuriance. Handy was the
home OF the latest Singhalese Kings and the
last place to fall into the hands OF foreigners.
1t Is indebted for its artificial lake to the last
oftho native Kings. who. when he was deposed
in 1915. closed series of 165 sovereigns whose
reigns extended over period OF 1853 years.
With the exception OF the palace OF the old
Kings and the ancient Hall OF Audience. which
are now used for Government purposes. the
really characteristic buildings Of Handy are
the Buddhist temples. monasterles. and COL
leGes. Here. for instance. Is the Maligawa.
the far-famed temple Of the Galada, or Tooth.
which. though in fact q mere piece OF ivory
hall the size OF ones first finger. is supposed
to have been o veritable tooth OF Gautama
Buddha- and Is reverenced accordingly by his
millions Of followers. Naturally. in this
stronghold Of Buddhism the salient feature Of
the population is the large proportion OF yellow
robed priests OF all ages and sizes. from old
men down to quite small boys. all with shaven
heads however. and with drapery flowing
like Roman toga At Handy almost all the
monks are members Of the Siamese sect,
which wears the robe with one end thrown
over the loft shoulder. but leaving the right
shoulder and arm always bare. thus producing
fine harmony In brown and yellow. A yellow
palm leaf fan completes the picture. and ia
carried in order that The holy brother may veil
his eyes II he passes anything so dlstracting
and evil as woman. Our author was told
that some Of the priests had taken the yellow
rOha a tho al az n,okh ~ ii
vorce from an unoved wife, They are at lib
erty to throw of their robes at any moment
and to resume the usages Of ordinary mortals.
beginning life anew with new helpmate.
The author attended reception at tho Gov
eminent House. and she described the extraor-
binary court dress which. it seems. is still worn
by the Kandyan nobles Naturally the Kan
dyan chiefs are fine. handsome set OF men. but
the object Of their court attire is to make
themselves appear very much bigger. To
begin with. therefore, instead OF wearing O
single piece OF cloth as a comboy. or long kilt.
they wear seven pieces OF very fine silk or
muslin. each nine yards in length. generally
embroidered in gold and heavily fringed.
These sixty-three yards are wound round and
round the waist, and caught up so as to form
divided skirt over tight white trousers which
end In neat frill above the bare brown feet.
We are told that some OF the very great
swells contrive to wind on $50 yards. The
folding Is SO contrived that the figure gradu-
ally tapers from the ankle up to tho waist, and
the shape OF the man thus adorned Is that OF q
peg top. Then over a shirt or vest fastened
with splendid studs is worn short jacket with
very large gigot sleeves. This jacket is OF the |
brightest colored silk or velvet all gold en- |
broidered. as are also the gorgeous and very
peculiar velvet hats. Of which you never see |
two alike. though in shape all are like very |
large and fiat pincushions surmounted with an |
eccentric orname nt like q miniature Christmas |
tree OF gold and jewels. We may note also that |
the long black hair OF the Kandyan gentle |
men is parted on the forehead. like a woman's.
and is fastened at tho back In o knot. Tho |
costume Is completed by an enormous ring. |
worn on the third or fourth finger. The |
Kandyan ladies'. who do not aim at increas-
ing their apparent bulk. look strangely dimin-
utive in comparison with their magnificent
lords. their plain. modest dress consisting OF @
combov-that is. skirt Of fine white muslin
with gold stripe running through it. and
neat little gold-spangled jacket They wear
no covering on the head. but have their
long black hair caught In loose knot
behind and fastened with gold pins. Though
their fine old family jewels will repay
close inspection. the mode OF cutting and
setting Is such that they have none OF the bril-
liuncy WHICH Europeans prize IN gems. 1t is
interesting to learn that, whatever other titles
they may own. Kandyan lady is generally
described rs M6nike. /. e.. 1.-THE Jewsl"-an
epithet conveying pleasing suggestion OF
respect and honor, borne out by the fact that
the enforced secuson OF zenana life is I'M
known in Ceylon. where women enjoy freedom
as absolute as that OF their Western sisters.
Among the things best worth seeing in Handy
Is the Oriental Library. which contains many
valuable ancient books. including some
unique manuscripts OF very great antiquity.
These old books are written in Sanscrit
and Pail. the study Of which dead Ian
guages is in Ceylon confined almost wholly
to tho priests. who. as mattor OF fact,
however. seldom master them. The grcat
historical record Of Ceyon. tho Mnha- wanso.
Is in Pail. which is also OF course. the sacred
tongue OF buddhism. being that in which Gau-
lama preached. Even Flu. or High Singhalese,
which is the language OF literature. differs
greatly from the vernacular. Just as. in China,
Mandarin Chinese differs from the various
DdtOiS OF the prOvinces For unJncL;uu thu