MORE TRIPS AND TRAVELS 223 



Lady Crichton Stuart's hat. We fortunately met 

 on board Colonel Wright, a rubber and tea planter ; 

 also Mr. Figg, who asked us to his charming house 

 in Colombo. Being a sportsman he took much 

 interest in showing us the race-course and stands, 

 etc. ; also taking us out to Mount Lavinia, a lovely 

 spot, where we were the guests of Mr. Davidson, 

 whom I have since visited at the nicest old Eliza- 

 bethan house in this country, Montacute, near 

 Yeovil, where he has very good pheasant and 

 wild duck shooting. After spending a holiday in 

 Colombo we took the train to Kandy, and there 

 Colonel Wright sent his car for us to go to the 

 plantations, where he showed us the tea and rubber 

 growing ; also the manufacture of these important 

 commodities. The G. 0. H. in Colombo, with 

 Mr. Chandler as the popular manager, and the 

 Galle Face Hotel, where we stayed, are the two 

 principal hotels in Colombo. 



Small native girls, with baskets slung behind 

 their backs, were picking the youngest leaves from 

 xea the tea trees, which are about the size 

 "making" q£ ^^ ordinary English currant bush. 

 When they have filled their baskets they take 

 them to the factory close by, and put them ready 

 for drying and the various processes through which 

 they have to go before the tea is marketable. 



The trunk of the rubber tree in these planta- 



