The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-24

school ana DOyQOOQ companions III
Ogden and Farr West.
Dear Father: On the evening of
the ninth, when the rlimor spread
around that the Georgia had orders
to proceed to Colombo Mt fourteen
knots, we thought 1t was just
sandy" but at 10 we rang full speed
ahead and sheered out Of column, and
for once we knew that rumor had
come true We had a smallpox pa
tient on board and we we're sent ahead
so the whole fleet would not be placed
In quarantine.
Early Saturday morning we arrived
off Colombo AID Immediately a pilot
came on board and took us through the
breakwater to our mooring, We were
not yet anchored when the mall was
brought on board and not yet moored
when the patient was removed. In
a few hours the yellow flag was
hauled down, although during the
whole stay we we're In nominal quar-
antine. being permitted TO go ashore
but not to receive visitors.
We prepared Immediately to coal
ship, and about 2:30 the collier came
alongside. We coaled until 10 that
night, and finished at the next after
noon. This gave us a great advantage
over the rest of the fleet for It took
all Sunday to get them moored inside
the breakwater. The ships were placed
so close that one could talk from one
to the other.
Early Monday morning I went
ashore and. after doing the marketing
for the mess q am caterer AGAIN.. |
started around to see the city.
The tinrikishas are similar to those
IN Japan, but the rikisha men, COM
pared with those of the island empire,
are as reeds to the oakland regular
highwaymen.
quarter The shops are regular holes
In the wall. and the keepers try 10
drag you In. You have to fight your
way through. They say. Master, mas.
ter, come In and look; no have to buy"
and once you are In you must buy
something TO get away. That Isn't diff
f1cult. though, for there are many at
tractive things to choose from. About
the most distinctive souvenirs are eb-
ony elephants and hammered brass.
The one great trouble In buying Is
that You don't know how much you
are getting cheated. They invariably
ask from two to a thousand times as
much as a thing is worth, especially
so Of jewelry and stones. Many peo-
pie paid two or three pounds for
Stones only to find that they were
worth only that many cents. Realiz-
ing this. / purchased no jewelry. |
think few left the island without find
ing that they had heen "stung" on
something
The main street of the native Sec
tion OF Colombo Is moderately clean,
but some Of the side streets we're
fairly putrid with squalor and filth.
The natives are said to bathe often,
but a clean garb Is great exception
to the rule, which shows great indo-
lence, for their complete raiment con-
sists Of, first, narrow cloth wrapped
about the loins, covering about one
fifth of the body. worn principally by
coolies and laborers; or. second,
piece of cloth encircling the waist
and reaching just below the knees,
much like shirt; or, third, the latter,
with some kind Of a waist or bodice,
or. rather, an excuse for the same.
1t Is very difficult to distinguish
the women from the men, for they
wear skirts and Jackets, wear their
hair long, often bobbing 1t In the back
and holding 1t on top with circle
combs. with the front to the back.
Many of the children we're stark naked.
| might say that among the better
o1o R0Ot-
looking half-castes.
The beast of burden is the sacred
COW of India, with tho hump over the
shoulders. They are driven single or
double, and draw carts with nipa COW
ers shaped like those Of old Immigrant
wagons. There are a few cariboos,
too.
On the way to the market I passed
a native laundry. The laundresses
stand in large stone basins in which
they soak the clothes. then gather
them up and beat them on wide stones
in front. whipping them over the Shout
der, as person outs wood. u wonder
what happens to the buttons.) MOD
ern methods are more expensive Dut
much more to my tasto.
JuuBlub lIOul ISPOl 10, IuO IJuIOpooho
of Colombo had funny impressions
OF American sailors Before we went
there, the shop keepers appealed to
the authorities to put on an extra force
of policemen to keep their windows
from being smashed and goods stolen.
In the big native stores they watched
us like hawks. and on the first day
many Of the smaller shops would close
up every time they saw sailor ap-
preaching. They probably have had
sad experience with other sailors, or
else, because they are the biggest
robbers and the worst liars OH the face
of the earth. they are suspicious or
everyone.
Tuesday morning went on an ex-
cursion to Randy, the inland capital
of the island seventy-four miles from
Colombo II was very interesting
trip, chiefly because of the glimpse
1t gave OF outside native life. Palms
were thicker than weeds, and scat
tered all through them were huts OF
adobe with nipa roofs.
thought the natives In Colombo
were scantily clothed. but here the
men Wore little more than q smile,
and the women only little more than
that / have seen pictures of negroes
in tho jungles OF Africa who wore
more than these.
We gotA fine view of old terraced
H. s.I IL. N