CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 29 



became real earnest, and they had to be 

 separated by their friends. Soon after Rob 

 called the headman of the party, tendered him 

 our thanks, and dismissed them with a present ; 

 but first each performer came and prostrated 

 himself at Rob's feet and then at mine, with a 

 curious motion of the hand as if picking some- 

 thing off the ground. I do not know what it 

 meant, but I am sure it was something 

 gracious, for they all looked so pleased 

 and happy ; it may have been to denote that 

 they accepted our present. 



On my way out in the "Cheshire," I saw a 

 better example of Sinhalese dancing from a 

 troupe who had been performing at Marseilles 

 and were returning to their native country as 

 deck passengers. They gave us an exhibition 

 on the main deck. The devil dancers wore an 

 extraordinary get-up, artificial hips made of 

 red and white cotton fringe which swung about 

 as they danced. They had also curious masks 

 and head decorations ; and in this and the war 

 dance which followed whirled about so wildly, 

 and worked themselves up into such a frenzy 

 that I was quite glad when it ended. Though 

 curious and fantastic, the performance lacked 

 the picturesque mise-en-scene the palms, the 

 weird moonlight shadows, and the solitude, of 

 our dancers. 



On our return home the last evening of 



