The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-04-11
As idle as a painted ship
L pom a painted ocean

one of the many phenomena of these
regions, is the s0-called .phosphorescent
light '-most frequently seen as sparks
or points of lights, appearing and dis
appearing in the vessels wake, locking
like electric sparks.
E." - the waves
- spangled with phosphoric fire
As though the lightnings had spent their
And left the fragments glittering in the
field"
Colombo il fortunate in having 1T the
entrance TO the harbor magnificent
breakWater which shelters it from the
fierce >. W. monsoon, which prevails be-
tween May and September. 1t is com
posed of huge blocks of granite, securely
laid, weighing some of them, from sixty
To eighty tons. Over this in rough
weather the sea breaks tossing the spray
high IL air. There is little in Colombo
to see. our ship being bound to Aus
tralia, the passengers for Straits Settle
ments. China and Japan were to be trans
ferred to the "Ravenna," another steamer
of the +. a q. line. The Panamatta be-
gan Immediately to re-coal and as we
were not transferred till ten o'clock
Tuesday morning, our lot was not an
agreeable one. The thick coal dust
penetrated every crevice, so that the
ports to windward were all closed max
ing the cabins on that side close and
sufiocating, while the decks were nasty
and black. The night was hot and stutfy
so many of the passengers went ashore
and passed the night in the still more
stutfy hotels, while the others remained
aboard and endured what could not be
cured
Tuesday morning we were surrounded
by fleet of catamarans, boats and crafts
of every description manned by swarihy
Sngalese. They are a fine, clean limbed
race, with rather pleasant features, hair
black as ebony and combed back, with a
round comb encircling their heads
Others wear high comb much as lady
wears one to keep her bonnet in place.
The coolies who tugged at the oars of
the coal lu0gers were black, and as their
entire wardrobe consisted of a breech
cloth one could see the play of their
muscles as they pulled at the sweeps
with the sun beating fiercely down upon
their uncovered heads. They perspire
freely and their skins shone like polished
ebony. If one desires to 60 ashore he
has his choice between a common row
boat and an out-rigger canoe. As it was
Il novel experience we chose the latter.
| 1t was frail craft about Is feet long,
and not more than ID inches in width,
followed out of a single log, with "A
! parallel stick some 10 feet away connect
ed by two crooked limbs with ropes to
stay it. Two sturdy oarsmen managed
! the sweeps, long slender sticks with a
board about a foot in diameter at the
end. Our fare was four annas each, or
about cents in American money.
Our boatmen manage the craft with
great deXterity, and we are soon along
side the landing where we are BEST gid
by "a crowd of guides and coolies who
take you almost perforce and thrust
/ their attentions on YOU. Here we met
/ with demand from our boatmen for
twelve annas, double fare. AS we had
taken the precaution to inquire the exact
fare beforehand, aud had furthermore
bargained with them to carry us ashore
for six annas we declined to pay more.
-, On reminding them of their bargain they
professed to be unable TO speak English
and consequently an interpreter inform
ed US, they could have made No bargain.
Six annas was all we intended to pay
however, and in the midst of a babel of
excited jargon, we moved away, followed
| by the angry boatmen. "Six annas, or
nothing was our ultimatum, and they
| finally gave 1t up and took the silver
while we pursued our way.
/ On reaching the street we fell into the
hands of another rabble who pounced
down upon US, with walking sticks,
flowers, old postage stamps, etc. A
guide asked us in pigeon English if we
wanted carriage, we signifed our
assent, and ne conducted US to double
carriage drawn by scrawny looking
horse with a Singalese driver We en-.
tered ;the fare was printed in English and