If
the hunter happens to hit the mark, the monster lies stretched
before him at the first shot; but if he misses, then woe to him, for
he is speedily trampled to death by the enraged beast. In all other
cases the elephant is very peaceable, and is not easily induced to
attack human beings.
The Europeans employ elephants to draw and carry burdens - an
elephant will carry forty hundred-weight; but the natives keep them
more for show and riding.
I left Candy after a stay of three days, and returned to Colombo,
where I was obliged to stop another day, as it was Sunday, and there
was no mail.
I profited by this period to visit the town, which is protected by a
strong fort. It is very extensive; the streets are handsome, broad,
and clean; the houses only one story high, and surrounded by
verandahs and colonnades. The population is reckoned at about
80,000 souls, of whom about 100 are Europeans, exclusive of the
troops, and 200 descendants of Portuguese colonists, who founded a
settlement here some centuries ago. The complexion of the latter is
quite as dark as that of the natives themselves.
In the morning I attended mass. The church was full of Irish
soldiers and Portuguese. The dress of the Portuguese was extremely
rich; they wore ample robes with large folds, and short silk
jackets; in their ears hung ear-rings of pearls and diamonds, and
round their necks, arms, and even ankles, were gold and silver
chains.
In the afternoon I took a walk to one of the numerous cinnamon
plantations round Colombo. The cinnamon tree or bush is planted in
rows; it attains at most a height of nine feet, and bears a white,
scentless blossom. From the fruit, which is smaller than an acorn,
oil is obtained by crushing and boiling it; the oil then disengages
itself and floats on the top of the water. It is mixed with cocoa-
oil and used for burning.
There are two cinnamon harvests in the course of the year. The
first and principal one takes place from April to July, and the
second from November to January. The rind is peeled from the
branches by means of knives, and then dried in the sun; this gives
it a yellowish or brownish tint. The best cinnamon is a light
yellow, and not thicker than pasteboard.
The essential oil of cinnamon, used in medicine, is extracted from
the plant itself, which is placed in a vessel full of water, and
left to steep for eight to ten days. The whole mass is then
transferred to a retort and distilled over a slow fire. In a short
time, on the surface of the water thus distilled a quantity of oil
collects, and this is then skimmed off with the greatest care.
