288 TWO TEAKS IN THE JUNGLE. 



guished by their shaven heads and inverted flower-pot caps. There 

 are really three varieties of the species, the first of which, respecta- 

 bilis, is found in well-filled shops, with good wares at reasonable prices. 



Another, semi-7'esi)ectabilis, makes a specialty of tortoise-shell 

 jewelry, both real and imitation, ivory elephants, ebony walking- 

 sticks and elephants, and sandal-wood fans, glove boxes, etc., im- 

 ported from China. But, it must be admitted, this also drops into 

 bogus jewelry. The other variety, vampirus, makes a specialty of 

 young travellers, and also old ones Avho have not yet cut their wis- 

 dom teeth, who are fooled to the top of their bent, either with bogus 

 gems or worthless stones at a high price. 



Both the last-named vai'ieties infest the steamers and hotels, 

 where they will offer the same articles to the same person, time 

 after time, with most annoying pertinacity and impudence. Occa- 

 sionally enterprising specimens of vampirus have shops and at- 

 tempt to pass for respectahilis, which they can easily do up to a cer- 

 tain point. While studying up the varieties and values of precious 

 stones, previous to making up my series of specimens, I had an ex- 

 perience with one of these worthies, who " took me in," pai't way, 

 at least. He came to me at the hotel, presented his card (M. C. 

 Joonoos, 21 Pedlar Street), and pohtely invited me to visit his shop. 

 It was very near, and after a very little urging I went, really in- 

 tending to make purchases if I found anything desii'able. 



When we reached the shop, the quiet retirement of which at 

 once made me think of a bunko establishment, we sat down on 

 opposite sides of a small table, and while the dealer's son was 

 bringing out the stones, I had time to scan the face of my vis-a-vis. 

 Mx. Joonoos was black, but not " comely," his jaws were heavy, his 

 shining black eyes were small and set close together, and his mouth 

 had an ugly droop at the corners. His black beard was thin and 

 straight, and his shaven head was capped by the usual flower-pot of 

 colored straw. The rest of his dress was Singhalese — a loose-fitting 

 coat of white linen cloth, and a petticoat (or sarong) of gayly fig- 

 ured stuff held up by a waist-belt. In upright cases around the walls 

 was an assortment of the fancy articles and "curios" usually pur- 

 chased by strangers, and in two small show-cases were the " gems." 



First we had pearls of all sizes, for the smallest of which INIr. 

 Joonoos asked three rupees each, exactly double the regular price, 

 and urged me to take twenty. I civilly declined pearls, and for the 

 next course we had sapphires, two large blue ones which vampirus 

 set to work in dead eai-nest to sell, then and there. The largest 



