The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-05-10
CEYLON CITY AND PEOPLE.
THE MOST PICTURESQ LIE SCENE
 RK.
Characteristics of tine Singhalese- Their Grace and Bcauty-Siight Mem ace to Health In Eastern Travel.

Their Grace and Beauty-Slight Mem
 ace to HeaIth In Eastern Travel.
 tThe more I see of Colombo and it's vi-
 cinity, the more am l attracted by very much that l find in it. Some other sea- son of the year might modify it's
 charms; rain or excessive dust might turn a paradise into Tophet, a pro- longed stay might become irksome. But there are some things which appeal strongly to me. The excavation of it's almost equatorial heat appeals to my
 natural indolence, and, accompanying the tendency to physical inactivity, there is a mental sluggishness which in- duces a mental indifference. One does not feel like doing anything, and does not care a rap about it if he follows the inclination. But there is no lack of mat ter of interest, and the interest is easily
 obtained. One may daWdle through shops with a comfortably lazy enjoy ment of rich colors and stuffs of Indian make, of carvings in wood and ivory. At about four in the afternoon, as the sun begins to lose it's greatest heat for one rupee (thirty-three cents) an hour OilS lliay liiIt el NoAiilo tdbiS NNthA A''eS V and ride for an hour or two over roads that are cool and shady and smooth, and
 for that trifling sum find endless pleas ure and refreshment
 Ceylon, laus Dec, has no exclusive monopoly of picturesque scenery. Save that to American eyes there is novel; ty in tropical verdure and foliage, l have seen nowhere in the East Indies or West Indies, in the Philippines or in the Malay states, any more picturesque or beautiful scenery, any more beauti- full waterfalls, glens or forest growths, than are to be found in the vicinity of our own Appalachian range. Novelty counts for much with perhaps the ma jority of travellers. If dandelions were rare, their special beauty would be more generally appreciated. The banyan tree is no more beautiful than giant oak; the mango tree is less beautiful than the elm. As fruit the finest man. go is far from the equal of the finest peach, and, choice fruit though it un- questionably is, would choose the strawberry in preference to the famous mangosteen.
 But there is an indescrbable charm about many of the drives which may be taken in the vicinity of these eastern cities, and have seen none yet which excel those of Colombo. It Is partly the place and partly the people In the glare of the midday sun 1t all loses much of it's charm. The softening light of the closing day brings lights, shad- ows, tones, of exquisite harmony and effect Colombo has wider streets than many of the cities of the east, has many fine and imposing public and office buildings, and even in its business DOT ton there are shade trees rich in color and soothing to the senses. But her special attractions seem to me to lie in artitic effects of people and costume. The people are of the east, but not of the far east. The Jap and the China man are conspicuous by their absence. The Malay states are full of them. but their place is taken by the native In Co., lombo. Here one sees the Singhalese, with his hair, black and glossy, twisted into a knot at the back of his head, while the head supports, crown-like, the Tircular comb such as is sometimes worn, less commonly now than twenty or thirty years aga, by young girls in America. Here one sees the Tamil, the Kandyian, the Malay, the Moor. the Arab, the Burmese, the Madressee, the Lascar, and a swarm of others, all more or less easily differentiated by costume or turban or other distinguish ing sign.
 Here is a finer type of feature than the Chitese or the Jap. Some can see 1io beauty where the skin is dark. To such handsome nigger" is an impos- sibilty. Here one sees hundreds of men and women, with eyes of softest and clearest beauty, and face of almost, and often quite, classical regularity. Clear and cleanly-cut1 faces predom- nate, yet skins very from tawny to the deepest of dark chocolate, with more or less of those that can only be called back. Of their grace and beauty of form I have spoken in previous letter They seem an active lot, quick of move- ment and erect in carriage, Driving | yesterday, along the water front, with the horse at a smart trot, girl some eight or nine years of age came running alongside begging for coppers. Her movements were those Of one who was flying rather than those of runner, | they were so light easy and graceful | The body-cloth, worn as it is here in fashion beyond my description, flying ! loosely, seemed wing-like to add to the flying effect This morning I saw an | English "bobby" essay the arrest of 8 brown-skinned chap, whose garb was | breech-cout. He might as well have | tried to hold an eel, and when the fe- | low broke away and ran, bobby" might as well have tried to catch a swallow.
 Sights, strange and often queer to us, are on every hand. Something should | be said of the thousands of wise and solemn-lo looking crows that pervade the city, croaking and scavenging. Here is the little trotting bullock, about the size of a yearling heifer, begging along at a trot which covers six or seven { miles an hour. He draws little cart, seating two or three besides the driver To keep him at it, the driver kicks him with his bare toes gently on the trump, | or mildly twists the brute's tail in a 1 persuasive, but emi-affectionate fash ion. Here a pair of bumped cattle of- ten very curiously branded draw the heavy two-wheeled vans with huge cov- CTS of palm matching. At proper hours one sees the pious Mohammedan taking pious bath, or piousy lSneeling on his prayer-rug, lowing piously to- ward Mecca They may all be a very