39^ Voyage of the Novara. 



interruption seemed to come as a matter of course, stopped, 

 apologized for the unexpected delay, threw the reins to one 

 of the party, sprang from the waggon, and disappeared in 

 the gloom of the forest. It was not for long, as it proved ; 

 for the stately, handsome, figure of the priest of Makun 

 presently appeared between the cocoa-palms. He had found 

 the woman much less dangerously ill than he had been led 

 to expect by the report of the husband, the native converts 

 to Christianity being very much given to requesting the 

 administration of the rites of the Church, upon being 

 attacked by the slightest indisposition, because they anti- 

 cipate much more benefit from spiritual treatment than 

 from the medicines of their body-curers. And now we pro- 

 ceeded on our way to the parsonage at a smart gallop, 

 which, however, did not prevent a zealous, much-believing 

 Cingalese from keeping up with the mettled horse, stride for 

 stride, for the entire distance, keeping close to the waggon 

 as he ran alongside. We were not then aware, indeed, 

 whether this violent bodily exercise was undertaken as a 

 matter of choice or as a penance, but it seemed to us, in any 

 case, an act far less meritorious than prejudicial to health. 



In St. Sebastian de Makun, the entire community were 

 awaiting our arrival, and escorted us by a romantic hill, and 

 through a delicious palm-forest, to the priest's abode. Here 

 we found the porch of the house gaily adorned, and meta- 

 morphosed with tropical fruits and flowers into a smiling 

 fragrant bower, with the feathery leaf of the cocoa-palm cut 



