The Mahomedans and Jews, too, are easily
recognised by their shaven heads, long beards, and small white caps
or turbans. Many of the Indians, likewise, wear turbans; but the
most have only a simple piece of cloth tied round their head, which
is also the case with the natives of Malacca and Malabar. The
Hottentots allow their coal-black hair to fall in rude disorder over
their foreheads and half-way down their necks. With the exception
of the Mahomedans and Jews, none of these different people bestow
much care upon their dress. Save a small piece of cloth of about a
hand's-breadth, and fastened between their legs, they go about
naked. Those who are at all dressed, wear short trousers and an
upper garment.
I saw very few women, and these only near their huts, which they
appear to leave less than any females with whom I am acquainted.
Their dress, also, was exceedingly simple, consisting merely of an
apron bound round their loins, a short jacket that exposed rather
than covered the upper part of their body, and a sort of rag hanging
over their head. Many were enveloped in large pieces of cloth worn
loosely about them. The borders and lobes of their ears were
pierced and ornamented with ear-rings, while on their feet and arms,
and round their necks, they wore chains and bracelets of silver, or
some other metal, and round one of their toes an extremely massive
ring.
Any one would suppose that, in a country where the females are
allowed to show themselves so little, they would be closely wrapped
up; but this is not the case. Many had forgotten their jackets and
head coverings, especially the old women, who seemed particularly
oblivious in this respect, and presented a most repulsive appearance
when thus exposed. Among the younger ones I remarked many a
handsome and expressive face; only they, too, ought not to be seen
without their jackets, as their breasts hang down almost to their
knees.
The complexion of the population varies from a dark to a light or
reddish brown or copper colour. The Hottentots are black, but
without that glossy appearance which distinguishes the negro.
It is extraordinary what a dread all these half-naked people have of
the wet. It happened to commence raining a little, when they sprang
like so many rope-dancers over every little puddle, and hastened to
their huts and houses for shelter. Those who were travelling and
obliged to continue their journey, held, instead of umbrellas, the
leaves of the great fan-palm (Corypha umbraculifera) over their
heads. These leaves are about four feet broad, and can be easily
held, like fans. One of them is large enough for two persons.
But if the natives dread the rain, they have no fear of the heat.
It is said that they run no risk from the rays of the sun, being
protected by the thickness of their skulls and the fat beneath.
I was much struck by the peculiarity of some of the waggons, which
consisted of wooden two-wheeled cars, roofed with palm leaves
stretching out about four feet, before and behind, beyond the body
of the car. These projections serve to protect the driver from the
rain and the rays of the sun, whichever way they may chance to fall.
The oxen, of which there was always only a pair, were yoked at such
a distance from the waggon, that the driver could walk very
conveniently in the intervening space.
I profited by the half-hour allowed for breakfast to proceed to the
sea-shore, whence I observed a number of men busily employed on the
dangerous rock in the middle of the most violent breakers. Some of
them loosened, by the aid of long poles, oysters, mussels, etc.,
from the rocks, while others dived down to the bottom to fetch them
up. I concluded that there must be pearls contained inside, for I
could not suppose that human beings would encounter such risks for
the sake of the fish alone; and yet this was the case, for I found,
later, that though the same means are employed in fishing for
pearls, it is on the eastern coast and only during the months of
February and March.
The boats employed by these individuals were of two kinds. The
larger ones, which contained about forty persons, were very broad,
and composed of boards joined together and fastened with the fibres
of the cocoa-tree; the smaller ones were exactly like those I saw in
Tahiti, save that they appeared still more dangerous. The bottom
was formed of the trunk of an extremely narrow tree, slightly
hollowed out, and the sides of the planks are kept in their places
by side and cross supports. These craft rose hardly a foot and a
half out of the water, and their greatest breadth did not average
quite a foot. There was a small piece of plank laid across as a
seat, but the rower was obliged to cross his knees from want of room
to sit with them apart.
The road, as I before mentioned, lay for the most part through
forests of cocoa-trees, where the soil was very sandy and completely
free from creepers and underwood; but near trees that did not bear
fruit, the soil was rich, and both that and the trees covered with
creepers in wild luxuriance. There were very few orchids.
We crossed four rivers, the Tindurch, Bentock, Cattura, and Pandura,
two by means of boats, two by handsome wooden bridges.
The cinnamon plantations commenced about ten miles from Colombo; and
on this side of the town are all the country-houses of the
Europeans. They are very simple, shaded with cocoa-trees and
surrounded with stone walls.
