The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-01
FINDS CEYIlJN IS
A BEAUTY SPOT
Stanley Washburn Writes Of the
Islands Picturesque Scenes
and Sights.
Capital Described as a Hospitable
Place, but Pleasant Looks
Come High.

Colombo, Ceylon, Dec. There are
many beautiful places in the world.
There are a great many places that are
strange and quaint to the foreigner who
sees them for the first time; but Cey- /
lon, with Colombo. it's capital, has the
rest Of the beautiful spots backed into
siding and the switch locked. At
least that is the way it looks to me.
Apparently Ceylon has long been ranked
as AL on it's personal charms, for the
pbch waf B brv f 1aros be nyh
full places, from Greenland IS icy. noun
tains to India's coral Strands gave
the palm to Ceylon, where Hevery pros
pect pleases and only man is vile.
That is Ceylon all right, as far as the
pleasing prospects are concerned, but
as a very hospitable and kindly lot,
despite the remark of,lthe hymn writer.
1t is true that they are somewhat ac-
tive in the pursuit of business and are
chronic beggars, but otherwise it is
hard to see how they are any more vile {,
have changed since his day. .:
The harbor Of Colombo ism It q very
| good harbor, and, We're it not for the
| protection of the breakwater, it would
be absolutely untenable in the spring
and summer, when the hot southwest
monsoon blows up from the south and
piles up the, great breakers in clouds
masonry. This breakwater is thrown
across the harbor mouth to guard the
ships at anchor from the stormy seas
| that rage without. The harbor itself
is SO small that the ships scarcely have
changes of the tide, so. that they are
tied up by their noses and sterns Cor,
to be nautical, fore and aft) to great
buoys, which keep them absolutely
steady.
The moment one lands on the ietty
one is besieged by droves of extremely
black gentlemen, dressed in white ef-
i feet, which seems to be a cross between
a pair of pajamas and a nightgown.
your ear to tell you that he recognizes
in you man of exceptionally genial
qualities to whom he would like to at
tach himself during your stay. If lett
unmolested, he will lead you into a
carriage and take you off to see the
other impending business. AS soon as
you have shaken him and his fellows
on the jetty and get into the street, you
meet more like him. Your first impress
sion is one Of pleasure to think that
you have so many friends in the world
IOf every HAL you @IHSeG Idllo III 1cuA
neck and wants to do something Fol
yo71-remuneration to be discussed later
Incidentally everybody expects some
thing. 1t seems that. all the native In
habitants of this place have an idea that
the foreigner is perpetually in theil
debt for something sor other. If you
look at a man hard IN the street he will
at once step forward with a winning
smile and outstretched7, hand, seemingly
at least SO anna for gthe privilege of
z seeing him. At the hotel it is even
worse. You get nothing free-not even
a pleasant look. / Ii fact; one gets
in the habit of distinctly discouragine
pleasant looks, for, tho they are pretty
i enough, they come high, averaging
about a rupee per look. . - 80
Il ...S - Very Black Men. -. III. f..
The men here are extremity black
with wonderfully perfect features ant
for the most part :superbly handsome
=, There seems to have been a mistake il
: the women, however, for they fail dis
= mal1y when it comes to personal charms
Most Of those whom one sees are any
thing but good to look at. The few
B that are at all presentable have beer
Z corralled by enterprising speculator
and are on exhibition. But, like every
thing else IN Cey1on, they are not Tree
One has to paw to look at them.
The natural beauties of Ceylon an,
Colombo are beyond description. It i
+ almost the only place in the world, saw
&c. perhaps Japan and Venice, that is jus
as good as advertised. The wonderful
: groves of cocoanut palms, banana tree
? and T know not what other tropical won
ders in every direction are outline
against the soft blue Of the easter
skies. All along the sea front Of Colon
be the palms stretch in great avenue
and groves from the Gale Face hott
( to Mount Lavinia, q bluff by the Sc
some four or five miles down the coas
l. At every cove and inlet one sees til
g. remarkable boat that these people use
le the catamaran. This is great TIRE
g. cooped out for the body Of a boat an
a. a little boat rugged some twenty fet
alongside, SO that it is. absolutely In
possible for one to upset. '-
tt Wild Elephants in Herds.
n If Ceylon is beautiful at the seashor
10 it is even more wonderful in the interit
"a where, added to the attractions of ii
II city, are the wonderful tropical hill
80 with their jungle-clad valleys and tt