174 AROUND THE WORLD VIA INDIA. 



fulness of the bracing mountain climate, with a re- 

 versal of climatic conditions occurring with a change of 

 the prevailing winds. It is well known that a pro- 

 longed residence in Ceylon shortens the lives of the 

 Europeans, and consequently those who are obliged to 

 live there find themselves under the necessity of leaving 

 the island every few years for several months in order 

 to rid themselves of that lassitude and depression inci- 

 dent to a prolonged residence in the tropics, and to 

 regain their recuperative power that is so essential in 

 resisting the insidious influences of tropical and other 

 diseases. 



THE PEOPLE. 



The population in 1891 was 3,008,460. The natives 

 are increasing very rapidly, as the estimated population 

 of the island on Dec. 31, 1902, was 3,685,267. This is 

 confirmed by the birth and death rate for the same 

 vear; 141,893 births were registered and 99.680 deaths. 

 The birth rate was 39, against 37.5, and the death rate 

 of 27.4 against 27.6 per mille in the previous year on 

 the estimated population in the middle of the year 

 (Medical Report of Dr. Allan Perry, principal civil 

 medical officer and inspector general of hospitals, 1902). 

 This record is not in accord with the fate of our Indians 

 and the Polynesians of the islands of the Pacific, whose 

 rapid decimation and eventual extermination followed 

 so promptly the footsteps of civilization. Three expla- 

 nations deserve consideration in accounting for this 

 difference. The OVylonesc have for centuries been in 

 touch with the outside world by much frequented 

 waterways and they have, perhaps more than any other 

 primitive race, retained more persistently their original 

 habits, and as most of them are Buddhists they have 

 escaped the fearful consequences of alcoholism so com- 

 mon among other savage races as soon as the white 

 man satisfies their morbid desire for liquor. The Sin- 

 ghalese and Tamil do not encumber themselves with 



