Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-09-26
Jenson's Travels.
LETTHR no. Xxi


boarded the steamer Ofaya on Satur.
day. May 70, and at p. M, three hours
amer anchohng oil Possession Point, We
sailed Tor Colombo. on the island Of
Ceylon, which was to be our next port
of call. enroute for Europe. Our WOW
age Of jass miles from Albany to
Colombo was vey pleasant the weather
being fine aud the sea smooth nearly
All the time. spent most OF my time
in reading and writing and conversing
with fellow passengers. | also took
lessons in German from young lady
As we approached the equator. which
we crossed on May s5th the heat became
somewhat oppressive, and the nights
we're 80 sullry and hot that many Of
the passengers preferred to sleep on
deck. Two concerts, in which songs
and fecitations predominaied, were
given in the saloon and on the upper
deck. and the time passed quickly and
somewha, pleasantly.
The oraya is a fine modern vessel
built at Barrow, England, in 1857, and
has all the latest oonyenicnces invented
for passenger transportation. She Is
vessel Of 6.ao7 tons gross or 5,44S tons
register, and the engine has the
strength Of 1000 horse power. She Is
40 feet long by - broad, and consumes
from SO to % tons OF coal per day. The
crew. including officers and men In all de-
par,men,s, number 1871. ON the present
voyage she carries 4sS passengers, name.
IN "A In the first, ISL ia the second and
"a In the third class. Most OF the pas
ssngefs travel for pleasure, some TO i'm
prove their health, few on business
and limited number returns 10 Eng
land displeased with their fortunes In /
The UColonics." Among the passen.
Vers are clergymen. merchants, sports
men. people OF leisure, etc. Several
havr wives aud children along, and
most of the people In the second class,
where INV own lo, IA cast, are sociable |
and respectable, there arc, however, a |
few exceptions TO that some OF them
are "tellgiousn beyond a sensible |
limit while others profess no religion
At AT, and others again are policy peo-
ole who aim 20 belong TO The most
popular church in the 'neighbofhood
where they reside" The church OF
England and presbytefians. ! believe,
predominant on board, aud there are |
also some Roman Catholics, including
two priests.
on Tuesday, May Goth. early in the |
morning land was scen lar away to the |
northwest. Il was the island OF Ceylon. |
close To the shores OF which we now
sailed Tor about one hundred miles, and |
az we approached the coast scenery be- |
came more and more interesting. At
%. m. We rounded the outer end OF the |
breakwater, where lighthouse Is
built, and swung into position FOR an
chofage on the inside. where q great |
number OF vessels were already an
chored, this being a port OF great i'm.
portance. Most OF the vessels Heated |
the British lack from their masiheads
soon alter We had anchored tho haf.
Dor was literally alive with natives, who |
approached the ship In boats and |
canoes Of different sizes and make. |
Some came TO trade. Others to take |
passengers ashore, and others again, |
mostly boys, to perform diving and
swimming ieats in which they were great
experts. The molly crowd made strange
and deaicning noises, particularly the
divers, who would plunge in for the
smaller silver com thrown in the water
but refused TO dive for coppers.
After tea OF supper most OF the pas
senEefs landed to spend the night ON
shore, I among the number, and after
taking prolonged walk through some
OF the principal streets oi Colombo.
put up AT the Australia House, together
with some fellow passengers. From the
moment we landed till we hid our.
selves behind the doors OF our hotel we
were beseiged almost at every step by
natives, who wanted TO act as guides
and wheel us around In their iinhck
shaws, light, two.wheelcd cart pulled
by one man, which are now used very
extensively on the island OF Ceylon.
and particularly in Colombo. II Is not
used only by the white people. but also
bs-ie native business men and Others
of the higher castles. The next morn
ing took a FIVE mile ride In one OF
these little vehicles, which thoroughly
enjoyed for the novelty OF the thing.
~ AAaNNA w NAAhAA NNMAN
IS the propelling power has never fallen
to my lot before. As there werr also a
great variety OF horse vehicles which
could be hired at the same rates rs the
iinTickshaws, this was a Gear case OF
competition between human flesh and
horse flesh. On my ride ! visited the
celebrated Cinnamon Gardens, the mu'
scum, the native market, the general
market, the railway station, government
buildings, public parks, etc. also took
walk through the Notifications near
the wharf where a great body Of men
and women were employed In packing
rocks ior new road running along the
seashore. We were told by one OF the
native ioremen who could talk English
that the government only paid these
people one quarter OF rupee-equal to
about Z United States cents--each for a
days work Of from ten to twelve hours.
aud even that was considered good
wages, The value Of an Indian rupee is
- pence, or about as cents Of United
States coin. This low rate is TO be as.
cubed To the present cheapness Of sil'
yef Small as the wages are In Ceylon
they are much lower In India proper
According TO official reports, there are
several millions OF people IN southern
India whose annual earnings, taking
grain, ETC., al It's full value, do not aver.
age per family OF 1--WE more than !7o, or
IS cents per month ior each Individual
equal TO a little more than one cent per
day Incredible as this may appear, Ii
Is true, although with better times In
India at present perhaps two cents per
day would be a sale average ra,e. Sixty
cents week IS enough 10 keep an In
dian peasant with wife aud one OF two
children in comfort; but good authorizes
aIAIn Tint Ihnrn uIn nInhL mIlllnna Of n.n-