CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 77 



umbrella, behind him, three or four youths 

 with bundles on their heads, each bundle being 

 covered by a large piece of talipot palmleaf to 

 keep off sun and rain. They stand in battle 

 array in front of the verandah, are told to let 

 us see what they have got, and then begins a 

 regular battle over prices. The Tambis 

 invariably ask twice the proper price at the 

 beginning, and lower by very slow degrees. 

 The best way to bargain with them is to offer 

 exactly half what they ask, and then gradually 

 go up a little until you see by their expression 

 that they begin to look pleased. This sort of 

 conversation usually occurs. " Tambi, how 

 much will you take for that cloth." N.B. — 

 Calico always called cloth in Ceylon. 



"Seventy-five cents a yard, lady." 



"Oh, I could not think of giving you more 

 than forty cents." 



" No, lady. Can't take it. This cloth cost 

 me fifty cents. I am very poor man, and can't 

 lose money. No lady, can't take it." 



11 1 very poor too, Tambi, can't give more 

 than forty cents." 



She goes away. 



The Appu comes and tells her he has just 

 bought a quantity from the very same piece for 

 thirty cents. She returns, and tells the gentle- 

 man who is also bargaining for some khaki. 

 He flies out on the Tambi. 



