236 TWO YEARS IN THE JUNGLE. 



its shore line of goldeu yellow sand lying below a bright green 

 fringe of palm-trees, while the forest-clad summits of the mountains 

 loomed up far in the interior. The narrow channel which separates 

 the mainland of India from Ceylon at Paumben is too shallow by 

 about ten feet to allow ocean steamers to pass through, and we 

 were obhged to sail three quarters way around the island to reach 

 Colombo. No one ever had a better opportunity to " scent the 

 spicy perfume of the cinnamon gardens " at long range than did 

 "we on that occasion, but a stone image could not have failed more 

 utterly to detect an}i;hiug of the kind. 



For years and years, until the absurdity has become bald with 

 age, has it been asserted as a fact that the spice-laden breezes from 

 Ceylon proclaim the presence of the island to voyagers miles at sea, 

 and some writers have even had the hardihood to assert that they 

 noticed the aroma of the breezes befoi'e sighting land. It is time 

 this dear old delusion should be given up. 



My first impressions of Colombo were never received. Eai'ly in 

 the morning while I was eagerly anticipating the delightful experi- 

 ence of steaming up to the city and landing in Ceylon " at last," 

 my head began to ache, cold waves began to sweep up and down 

 my back, my throat began to fire up and I was soon shivering as 

 though the equator had no existence. By the time we came to an- 

 chor it was the fever's innings, and my only thought was to get 

 ashore and find a hotel. 



When I landed on the jetty I was half-bhnded with the pain in 

 my head ; my brain was dizzy, and I was as sick at the stomach as a 

 drunken man. I looked and acted so much like one that the na- 

 tives said, " Look ! look ! the gentleman is drunk ! " and immedi- 

 ately collected around me to see the fun. A native pohceman hov- 

 ered obligingly near, to assist me or take me in charge as the case 

 might require, and from his actions I could not tell which thought 

 was uppermost in his mind. But the thought of being in Ceylon 

 braced me up, and I presently crawled to a cool and comfortable 

 hotel, where I went to bed and enjoyed my fever with a certain de- 

 gree of comfort. 



The best physician in Colombo was Dr. TVTiite, the Ai'tillery 

 Surgeon, although, by a strange coincidence his house stands with 

 a hospital on one side and a graveyard on the other. I sent for 

 him without delay, and without delay he came, and told me I had 

 best take a trip home (to England), in order to get the fever out of 

 my system. I replied that such a calamity was not to be thought 



