PORT ELIZABETH AND WALMER. 13 



botanical garden, with a large conservatory, containing 

 many beautiful palms, tree-ferns, and other tropical 

 plants. 



The Malays are the most picturesque feature of Port 

 Elizabeth ; and their bright-coloured Eastern dresses, 

 and the monotonous chant of the priest announcing 

 the hours of prayer from the minaret of the mosque, 

 form a pleasing contrast to the surrounding everyday 

 sights and sounds. Like most other Orientals, they 

 are perfect artists in their appreciation of colour ; and, 

 fortunately, they are still old-fashioned enough not yet 

 to have adopted the hideous coal-tar dyes with which 

 Europe has demoralized the taste of some of their 

 brethren in Cairo and Algiers. On Fridays, when all 

 are wearing their best, you often see the most beautiful 

 materials, and the loveliest combinations of colour; 

 especially in the flowing robes of the priests, the tints 

 of which always harmonize perfectly. Thus, for 

 instance, you will see an outer garment of turquoise 

 blue, worn over an inner one of " old gold ; " delicate 

 salmon colour over soft creamy white ; rich orange in 

 combination with the deepest maroon ; with an infinite 

 variety of other lovely tints, any of which a painter 

 might covet for his studio. The Malays often wear as 

 turbans some of the beautiful sarongs of Java, which 

 are simply ordinary calico, painted by hand with a few 

 good colours, and in the most artistic designs ; of course 

 there are never two alike, and in these days of machine- 

 made sameness they are refreshing to behold. Some 

 of the men wear immense hats, made of palm leaves 



U~ B 



