The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-05-25

and requested him to impart to me
the two words necessary to cause the
natives who pull the rickshaws to go
faster and to stop. He told me that
.sgillo'' meant increased pace and
that bus meant stop. Armed
with these l seated myself for
pleasant ride. The native started off
at, walk. l followed "gillo," he
looked around, smiled and started
into a dog-trot which he kept up for
| an hour. A rickshaw can be hired
for 80 cents for the first hour and for
| 16 cents for each hour after that. 1t
is indeed wonderful how these men
are trained to run all day; they are
| truly all sinew and muscle.
We found the ..Soldier's Rest a
very cool and refreshing place. 1t is
erected and conducted principally for
benefit of the English soldiers, and of
course there, we were welcomed.
Games played, and light refresh
ments obtained for a small sum. The
market contains everything to eat.
The cocoanuts, pineapples. oranges,
bananas and mangos are very nice
and gotten for mere nothing.
| One Of the most pleasant rides is
from the Ceylon Tea Kiosk, by street.
car line, to Victoria Bridge crossing
the Kelaniya river, distance of
about seven miles, carrying you
through the most populous part of
the city; by slums in which it is
| dangerous to be seen even in day
| light. The river presents the most
beautiful scenery | have ever wit
messed. The banks are lined with
cocoanut palms heavily laden with
their fruit; underneath these the
long grasses bend gracefully their
heads to meet half way the caressing
kiss Of the placid waters.
The cocoanut is not permitted to
ripen as we see it in the United
States, but pulled before maturity;
hole bored in it and the milk used as
a beverage. From this milk is made
a delicious drink called "toddy."
After the milk has been drawn, the
nut is cracked open. exposing on the
inside a pulpy, succulent substance,
or meat, which tastes very much
like ice-cream made of three-fourths
|
the cocoanut is one of the most
healthful fruits known to the island.
1t is an ordinary thing to see, as you
walk about the city, in the front
yards, bananas, green, ripening and
ripe.
can without the least exaggera-
ton say that the natives of Colombo
are, by far, the cleanest looking
people | have seen since leaving the
States. Both men and women dress
nearly alike; the women wear very light
with tightly fitting skirt, or cloth
apparently wrapped around the
lower limbs, hooked on the right
side and permitted to strike about
the height of the ankles. No shoes
are worn; some use light sandals.
The women wear rings and beads in
the nose; the men wear earrings in
the ears.
Two Of the most pleasant and
beautiful places I visited while at
Colombo are Victoria Park and Cor
don's Gardens. Victoria Park is
about % miles from the centre of the
city. 1t incorporates some magnifi-
cent lakes, large groves of banyan
and palm trees, as we'll as most beau
tiful and various flowers. Such a
nice place to stroll onto during the
heat of the day; so cooling and re-
freshing.
Gordon's Gardens lie North of the
Governor Generals Palace. In the
gardens are not many trees-all flow
ers. 1t would require a weeks time
to 60 through and segregate the
various kinds of flowers grown there.
| All of them fresh and green, con-
stantly watered from the lakes of the
gardens by automatic sprinklers. AS
soon as decayed leaves fall new ones
are budding to supply their places.
Before returning to the ship l
walked out to the Galleface Hotel.
This large building is situated on the
beach just 3 miles from the heart of
all business life. There is leading
out to the hotel drive by the same
name, commenced by Sir Henry
Ward in 1856 and com pleted in 1859
1t was perfected for the use of ladies
and children spending their outing
at the hotel. An admirable place for
wheeling. The Galleface Hotel is
the summer resort of Colombo.
If you will kindly follow me back
to Alden, Arabia, will endeavor
to give some of the names of the
islands passed after leaving that
port. Abdulkuri, The Brothers,
Dorca and Sokatra. The last is the
only one of this group worthy of
notice. 1t is in latitude 12o North
longitude 52S East, $50 square miles,
sc miles extending East and West,
81 miles wide: is about 12O miles
from Ras Asir, the most Eastern
point OF Africa, and is about 500
miles from Alden. The language
spoken on this island is peculiar to
the native alone; it has never been
translated. Its soil is very fertile
producing large quantities of pepper,
spices and fruits. 1t is also noted
for fisheries. These articles are ex-
changed for dry goods and provis-
ions from England and the United
States.
After leaving Colombo, the first
land seen was on the morning of
April 9th, Pulo Roudo, Pulo Bras,
Pulo Wele and>Pulo Nasibasur, Of
dedap. Pulo Bras is s! by miles,
very mountainous: highest point Mt
Chumno, 1926 feet above sea level.
Upon this island is a lighthouse
'Wiiliem Storem' that throws lights
of all and varied colors. 1t was 1 a..
NJ, the morning of the 9Th of April
when l arose thinking that we should
be near land, to get glimpse of
this light. l had been informed of
its magnificence and was indeed
anxious to see it. A person is fully
repaid for loss of sleep and trouble OF
arising by seeing these beautiful re-
volving colors. The colors appear
so wildly. The light seems much
stronger than those of many light
| houses passed DreyiouSly