44 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



with a perfectly just, but very strict rule, they 

 take advantage at once of any laxity of discipline, 

 andonlyrespectafirmhand. They appear never 

 to resent punishment when their conscience 

 tells them they deserve it. 



January 26th. — This morning alas ; we 

 found three out of the four little turkeys dead 

 in their nest, — killed in the night by black ants. 

 The mother hen was all stung about the head in 

 defending them. Rearing poultry out here is a 

 disheartening business. What with insects, 

 snakes, and sun-strokes, the poor things lead 

 a precarious existence. The other day one of 

 the ducks apparently quite well, walked into 

 the open, and suddenly dropped down dead, 

 it is supposed from heat apoplexy. 



Yesterday the Peria Dorei, coloquially P.D. 

 the manager of this group of estates, came 

 for his usual visit of inspection ; and very 

 glad we always are to see him, bringing as he 

 does, a whiff of the outer world, and a little 

 outside news ; for toujours Cocoa, like " toujours 

 perdrix " becomes at times a little wearisome. 

 We always hope he will arrive when our beef 

 cooly has just brought the bi-weekly supply 

 from Kandy, but yesterday, in spite of its 

 being one of our " banian " (Sinhalese) for 

 11 Maigre " days, our appu managed to produce 

 a most creditable menu. Mulligatawny soup, 

 turbot with white sauce, chicken pie, cold 



