THE XORTHERX PROVINCE. 261 



very pi'etty from the shore, and but for my boxes full in Jaffna, I 

 would have been tempted to gather a few clusters. 



In half an hour after we reached the rest house, I learned that 

 a small native boat was just ready to set sail for Batticaloa, and 

 would for a consideration land me at Mullaitivu. The captain 

 came and said they had cleared and were ready to start at once. 

 "^^^lat, to-night?" "Yes, to-night; we will take you for twenty 

 rupees." I said, "Wait till to-morrow and I will go." "No," said 

 the captain, "if we wait till to-morrow we will charge you thii'ty 

 rupees." "All right, then off we go to-night. Boy, pack up the 

 boxes again, and send for a bandy." The boatman was caught. 

 " Su-," said he presently, " we can't go until to-morrow. We haven't 

 cleared sufficiently yet." 



"Oh ! I thought so ! AYhat an honest man you are, to be sure." 

 He thought to swindle me out of ten rupees by way of introduc- 

 tion. So after dining sumptuously off a tough old rooster, and a 

 dish of euriy and rice that was like living fire, I went to my blankets 

 on the cot. 



The next day, Heni*ique ransacked the village for eatables, and 

 a long search panned out nothing but two scrawny fowls and a few 

 eggs. No fish, vegetables, fruit, bread, or other meat. Being ex- 

 ceedingly tired from my Jaffiia work I was glad to lie neaiiy all 

 day in my hammock, in delicious, restful idleness. 



The boat was to sail at noon, and also at 4 p.m., but the " tyn- 

 dall" (captain) made the excuse that they had not thoroughly 

 cleared. Then I saw my enemy and knew my work. After get- 

 ting everything in readiness to start I went for the tyndall and in- 

 sisted that we should set off. For two houi's I made his life a 

 burden to him, and by that time we had got the crew together and 

 were really ready to go. At dark, my luggage was taken aboard 

 and we sailed at once. 



The name of the old Tamil tub was Aj^di Letchme, and I think 

 she was the clumsiest and slowest craft afloat. She was fairly 

 clean, however, and had a sort of cabin A^ith bunks, in one of which 

 I lay and slept while dozens of big, black cockroaches marched 

 over me in solemn procession. We were four whole days in mak- 

 ing that seventy-two miles to Mullaitivu, and at times I thought I 

 should go wild with impatience to get on. The breezes were not 

 very favorable, I admit, but instead of beating up to windward and 

 making some headway, the clumsy old craft just wallowed like a 

 log in the water. Once the captain brought his vessel to anchor 



