238 TWO YEARS ITT THE JUNGLE. 



Galle," but it does no sucli thing ; it faces Aden. It is long and 

 rather narrow in places, with the sea on one side and the lake on 

 the other. It is simply an open stretch of gently-rolling, smooth, 

 green lawn, without a sign of a fence, a gravelled foot-path, tree, 

 shrub, or even the inevitable marble statue. There is nothing 

 hacknej'ed about it. It is as free as the air, and you may walk 

 across it, or gallop over it on horseback to yovu' heart's content. 



In the evening toward sunset the wealthy Europeans di-ive 

 round and round this beautiful Esplanade in their best turnouts, 

 to enjoy the balmy breezes; and the Europeans who are not 

 wealthy walk out, and sit on the benches along the shore. Some- 

 how I always pi'eferred the benches. To me there was a world of 

 quiet enjoyment in sitting there alone, watching the sun as it sank 

 slowly into the sea, the tiny sail-boats of the fishermen gliding by 

 as the}' sought the harbor ; the calm, blue sea, stretching in wide 

 expanse before me, and the surf creeping up the sand at my feet. 



The view of Colombo from the clock tower is full of exquisite 

 beauty, particularly when looking south. Along the boundary of 

 the Fort stands a zig-zag row of five long, two-story, many win- 

 dowed, pale yellow buildings, clean and handsome, which are the 

 military barracks. Immediately beyond them stretches the Es- 

 planade with the Hospital on the left, the Club House fairly tres- 

 passing on the green sward farther do-wn, while at the lower end is 

 the Galle Face Hotel, embowered in a beautiful grove of cocoanut 

 trees. Almost in the centre of the city, with the Esplanade for its 

 western shore, lies Slave Lake, a body of water many acres in ex- 

 tent but with such a wonderfully irregular shape, and so many 

 sinuosities of shore-line that one cannot obtain anything like a 

 compi'ehensive view of it except from a height. Its southern shore 

 curves in and out and all about ; but a well-kept caniage-drive 

 winds along its entire length, patiently following all the curves, 

 leading past shady bungalows suiTounded by well-kept grounds 

 full of cocoanut-trees, flowering shrubs and beautiful plants found 

 only in the tropics or in hot-houses. No drive can be more de- 

 lightful than that around the lake about sunset, the time when all 

 hot countries are the most enjoyable. 



Beyond the lake, toward the southeast, lie the Cinnamon Gar- 

 dens, the Museum, wide streets and the airy bungalows of the 

 wealthy European officials and merchants. Let it be remembered 

 that the whole city is embowered in cocoanut-trees, and the ground 

 is nearly everywhere carpeted with green grass. What a striking 



