The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-08-26
BILKINS IN CEYLON
The Major and His Mule
Bob Have q Taste of
High Life.
NATIVES FOND OF JEwELRY

The Wonders of an Island-Life
Near the EquatOr-Where Eating
is q Part of Life-The Manufacture
and the Wearing of Jewelry A
Universal Industry-A Mixed Pop
ulation-Strange Plants and Their
Uses-Where Wild Animals Roam.
A Country That is Full of Rovers
and Rascals-Where Tin is Mined.
Correspondence of The Caucasian
Enterprise.
Colombo, Ceylon, Aug. Ii am
now headin' fer India, one ov ne
jumbo countries that air sed ter be
full ov powerful interestin' sites. But
havin' stopped in Java an findin' hit
full ov things ter look at, an havin'
hearn folks say that Ceylon IL truly
wonderful, l concluded ter see fer
myself, fer / may not pass tiis way
ergin soon.
Ceylon il located only a short dis
tance from the coast ov Hindoostan,
one ov the divisions ov India, and IL
only a little more than a hundred
miles from the Equator, SO the cli-
mate il mild, hot, in fact. But the
steady sea breeze comm from the
surface ov the Indian ocean, tempers
the climate an hit IL not unbearable.
The native population wear but little
clothin' an the Americans an Eng
lish wear only lightweight stuff.
They hev no winter here at awl.
Ov course they IL guide deal goin'
On here in the way ov work, but the
wealthier classes ov people, native
an foreign, put in guide deal ov
the time eatin', fer the climate il
rather healthy an people who air
not obliged ter work can spend the
time az pleasantly eatin' az in any
other way. At the hotels, most ov
which air very good ones, you can
get tea or coffee at from to 8 a.
M, breakfast begins at an lasts
till 12. Then they hev lunch or tiff
fin az they call hit from 1 to 3. At
they hev tea, an dinner iz served
from to 1890 at mite. II me an
Bob wuz ter stay here very long we'd
soon hev ter gather some "yerbs"
an fix up some "bitters" fer indi-
gestion.
Colombo, Handy an Buitenzorg
air the principal cities in Ceylon.
The last place named IL hardly more
than famous resort fer visitors. A
beautiful garden or park containin'
awl ov the trees, flowers an other
things found in the island II located
at Buitenzorg.
One ov the principal industries
here IL the wearin' of jewelry. Many
gems air found in the island and
goldsmiths air plentiful. The men
wear a guide deal ov jewelry an the
women air erbout crazy on the sub
ject, some ov the more stylish women
wearin' jewels in their noses, ears
an hair. But hit hez not bin long
since American women wore ''ear-
bobs," so we can't say much against
the foolishness I see here.
There air many Germans in Cey-
lon, foreigners ov awl sorts, in fact.
In the city of Colombo alone hit IL
sed that twenty-nine different lam
guages air spoke at this time.
The different flowers, plants,
palms, ETC., here furnish enough to
interest some people fer long time.
The screw palm, whose leaves forms
spiral line like the threads on a
screw, liz a curious variety not often
seen. sealing wax palm, the higher
points ov which look exactly like
sticks ov ordinary red sealing wax,
attracted my attention, az did the
travellers palm, each leaf ov which
holds enough water to quench your
thirst, an in some sections the trav-
eler must depend upon the palm to
furnish awl the drinkin' water he
gets for hours at time. The TALBOT
palm awlso hez an interestin' his
tory. It's leaves furnished the parch-
ment fer the first books Issued by
the Buddhists. This plant blooms
but once In fifty years and then dies.
A plant known az the sensitive"
plant il found here. If you attempt
to take hold ov this plant with your
hand hit shrinks from you and trem-
bles az If frightened, and If you do
touch it with your hand it withers
and dies at once. This plant IL prob
ably the most peculiar in the enIire
botanical family.
| In Ceylon they seem ter hev awl
that liz guide in the way ov fruits an
eatables, and many varieties ov
spices grow here. Still the people
air not happy. Vicious animals, rep
tiles and insects air too numerous
here fer comfort, except under the
most favorable circumstances. Ov
| course there il no danger from wild
animals in the cities. But the In
sects air a nuisance and they neither
fear man nor devil. Muskeeters an
fieas an a whole list ov varmints
that I didn't learn the name ov make
hit warm fer you. However, mus
keeter bars an seabreeze at mite
make sleep possible. Ants air very
plentiful an air liable to crawl aw
over you at any time, day or mite
The legs ov tables must be set IL
bowls ov water to keep the anti
from eatin' up the meal before thu
human family can. Other varmint'