Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-06-30
FACTS TOLD OF
CEYLON INDIA
Former Oxford Man, DIR. George u
Hampton, Tell of .eyione,
India.

Under date of May s, 1921, a let
ter from kanady, Ceylon, written by
Dir. George G. hampton has been re-
ceived by j. S. McCharen of this city
Mr.. McCharen wrote to Dr.. Hamp-
ton March /, this answer to his letter
was 40 days getting to him.
The letter which is full of interest
ingfacts concerning India is herewith
published:
Hotel Suisse, Kanady, Ceylon.
May 9Th, 1921.
Mr.. j. S. McCharen,
Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Dear Friend
You may be sure this lonesome Lao
enjoyed your letter more than mere
words can express.
| remember you and your family
quite we'll, as you were neighbors IN
Oxford. | used to play with yours
and Mr.. C. C.'s children when | was a
school kid in Oxford.
This is a wonderful country from
a standpoint of natural scenery and
ancient ruins.
Something of Climate.
The elevation in Ceylon ranges from
sea level to 5000 feet above sea level.
The climate is truly tropical but the
heat is not depressing as one might
imagine. In the villages of the higher
attitudes they get frost and some ice.
In the lower country it is hot but the
sea breeze makes it bearable. March
and April are the dry months and of
course the hottest months. The wet
season the rest of the year keeps one
cool. 1t rains every day and some
days the sun does not show itself.
During THIS season All Ieacner soouo
moIo, JOCKS go 10 the Dad III a hurry,
unless you put these In Jne sun oI.e-l.
reputation OF 4,OvU,U0O.
The peop4e are SlngnaieSe, tamil,
Singhaiese ale the real natives o. Cey-
lon and make up the most of the popu-
lation. Ceylon has population OF
over 4O00,O00. There are about 5000
Europeans here, mostly English. AS
YOU know Ceylon AID India are under
British control and have been for more
than a century.
The religion is Buddhist. The Chns-
tian missionaries have not been able
to make much Roadway among THESE
Indians. The Catholic church is the
strongest Christian church in this part
of tn eworld. Of course nearly every
Christian denomination is represented
by missionaries here as in other parts
of the east.
People Lazy and Indifferent.
The people as whole are lazy, care
free and Indifferent to our western
progress. They need no clothes and
exist on fruits and what rice they
raise. They do not raise sufficient
rice and as this is the staple article OF
diet, numbers are hungry and actually
starve every year when the supply OF
rice is exhausted.
Religion Prevents Proper Nourish-
ment.
With the exception of typhus and
yellow fever they have all other dis
eases known to the medical profession
and numbers of diseases that have
never been classified. Typhoid, dys-
enterv, EMBELLISHMENTS, (hook worm
disease), bubonic plague, leprosy, tu-
berculosis, raws, smallpox and We
nereal diseases take the greatest toll
of life yearly. Lack Of sufficient
nourishment tends to invite these dis
easses and the religious customs OF
the native prevent him from taking a
balanced diet.
The bull is sacred therefore they do
not eat beef. They believe in the
tra1smigration of souls and for that
reason they will not kill any animal
or insect for fear they are numbering
a relative. They use milk when they
can get it, but will not eat eggs since
they contain the germ of life.
Could be Veritahle Paradise.
The jungles are full of game, large
and small. If it was not for their re-
ligion they could get plenty of meat
to eat Elephants, buffalo, deer, bear,
leopards, Partners and every kind of
fowl abound here. The whole island
is one vast orchard of fruit With
the plenteous supply of game and
fruits, if the native would work he
could raise plenty of rice, then if he
would forget Buddha, he could live
in veritable paradise. Ceylon has
been called the Original Garden of
Eden" and to see it you would be
$arnnfnd to haJiavn II uac fyr,a