242 TWO YEARS IN THE JUNGLE, 



And witli a majestic wave of the hand, I was dismissed from the 

 presence of the most bearish and uncivil Englishman I ever saw. 

 I then called upon the acting Colonial Secretary who was very- 

 courteous indeed, and after explaining the matter, I left with him 

 a formal petition addressed to the Colonial Secretary, which stated 

 the purpose for which the spirits had been imported, and asked 

 him to sanction a rebate of my rupees. In a week an answer came, 

 saying the Governor was unable to comply with my request. 



Mr. Ferguson asked me one day concerning the result, and I 

 showed him a copy of my letter, and the reply to it. His first ex- 

 clamation was "What a shame ! " and he declared he would let the 

 people know just how I had been treated. He did so. The next day 

 there appeai*ed in his paper (the Ceylon Observer) a scathing article 

 headed, " Courtesy to an American Naturalist visiting Ceylon : The 

 Ceylon Government at Fault : Who is to Blame ? " from which I 

 must quote the following paragraph : 



" So, the Ceylon Government feel it to be their duty in protect- 

 ing the interests and revenue of the public, to mulct an American 

 naturalist visiting the island in the sum of two hundred and sixteen 

 rupees, for the spirits used in preserving his specimens ! Such a 

 thing has surely not happened in the history of the colony before 

 this time. If the Legislature were sitting we should press for an 

 explanation, for the precedent which has been followed, or for the 

 regulation which prevents His Excellency the Governor using his 

 discretion in a remission of duty in a matter where the promotion 

 of science, of international good feeling, of ordinary courtesy and 

 consideration for a stranger and naturalist, so especially called for 

 the step. So far as our experience goes, this is certainly not the 

 plan usually followed by the Indian and Ceylon Governments in 

 the case of scientific visitors, and we heartily regi-et the blunder — to 

 say the least — which has been committed." 



Such was the language of the leading journal in Ceylon. All 

 the other papers, except one, commented upon the matter in the 

 same tone, and it was a satisfaction to me to find unmistakably 

 that the action of the authorities was universally condemned as be- 

 ing utterly stupid and inexcusable. The regulation fixing a high 

 rate of duty upon clear alcohol, according to its strength, is designed 

 to protect the revenue, and to protect the people against the im- 

 portation of strong alcohol to be used in adulterating liquors, and 

 in manufacturing vile stuff. By no known process can poisonous 

 methylated spirits be rendered fit to use for drinking purposes, or 



