The Coolidge examiner., 1934-10-05

pered by sea breezes, and Is health
ful except in the low-lying jungles,
where malaria has taken heavy toll
Infant mortality Is excessive, due
chiefly to malaria. Intensive anti
malaria work and maternal and
child welfare work are slowly pro-
ducing good results.
The island alternates between
scorching sunshine and heavy show
ers. At times the air Is very still
and hot Thunder over hills and
jungles precedes midsummer rains
so torrential that every leaf drips.
Clumps OF giant bamboo already
over 100 feet high shoot up another
foot In n single day. Liquid bird
calls echo through drenched jun
giles. The streams leaping from fall
to fall down the central uplands to
the coast gush In torrents and
sometimes food the land
Formerly. when scant rain fell,
the rivers dried up into parehed wa
ter-courses. carpeted with grass.
Deer from the woods ventured out
on them. and wild swine plowed
them up at night. The northwest
and southeast corners OF Ceylon
became burning deserts.
To counteract this, irrigation was
begun centuries ago. Irrigation IL
needed because rice Is the staple
food of its inhabitants. The early
Slnhalese kings made a great part
of Ceylon cultlvable by construct
ing artificial lakes or tanks" Mod
ern Ceylon Is doing extensive irri-
CATION work. dammlng up rivers
and conserving water In reservoirs
for dry times This has not only
converted arid land into agricul-
tural areas. but has checked foods
and malaria
Ceylon's prosperity depends en-
tirely on her agriculture. The soil
Is extremely fertile, and about one
fourth OF the land Is under cultiya-
ton. The valleys are a patchwork
OF vivid green rice fields. The hills
are striped with rows of tea bushes,
and rubber trees. The tea industry,
largely In the hands OF Europeans,
Is the mainstay OF the island, ex-
porting about $50 million pounds
annually.
Aside from tea. and citronella oil,
Ceylon exports chiefly raw mate
rials: cacao. cinnamon. coconuts,
areca nuts, rubber. and cardamons.
Island Is a Jewel Box.
Unlike the Tamlls. who do most
OF the unskilled labor. the Sinha-
lese are skilled workers, being
largely jewel grinders. weavers,
lacquer makers.
Ceylon is a jewel box of precious
stones. In Colombo. the headquar-
ters for jewel grinders and whole
sale and retail jewel sellers. one
may purchase pearls. glowing
rubies, sapphlres. amethysts. moon
stone, and alexandrites. those weird
stones, green by day and sullen red
under artificial light. The early
Greeks knew Ceylon as 1.-THE Land
Of Rubies."
The island is noted for its pearls.
The pearl fisheries are located on
the northwestern coast along the
Gulf of Manaar. Along this shore.
which is sea bottom become land
by slow upheayal. for 10 or IL miles
inland. the plOw turns up oyster
shells everywhere Here. at the
time of pearl fishing. thousands Of
boats are anchored off shore, tenn
porary villages spring up over
night. complete with snake charm
ers md magicians to lure the money
Of the newly rich pearl divers.
Ceylon's fauna would populate a
weird 200. Rose -colored hamingoes
mate in its artificial lakes. Man
eating crocodiles bask on the
shores. Through shoulder-high
grass. wild bunaloes watch tame
buffaloes pl0wing rice fields. The
air rings with screams of wild pea
fowl and white-headed fishing
eagles.
The jungles ill the tropic night
with uncanny hootings and catcalls.
The bloOd-curdling call OF the devil
bird makes ones flesh creep and
ones hair stand on end. The brown
hawk-owl makes cry like a
strangled cat Above the chatter
ing of monkeys. one hears the trum.
peting Of wild elephants.