80 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



declared the man was drunk, and had a row 

 with a Sinhalese man about a deer, and 

 that the Sinhalese took the earrings. Both 

 men came up here to Rob to complain. As 

 they not only contradicted each other, but 

 also themselves over and over again he 

 told them they must come next day with 

 witnesses. Probably we shall hear no more 

 about the affair for these rows subside in 

 a wonderful way. When natives have 

 blown off steam by a good deal of vociferation 

 and gesticulation, and complained to their 

 Master, they seem content to let mattters drop, 

 and in a few days we find them, and their 

 quondam enemies the greatest of friends. 

 We felt anxious to know the truth in this 

 particular instance ; for if the man was 

 really waylaid in a spot which our Tapal (post) 

 cooly passes every day, it would be a serious 

 matter. Sometimes even the government 

 post runners are attacked. Not long ago 

 there was a case of the kind between Kandy 

 and Teldeniya, The postman was waylaid 

 and beaten, and the mail stolen from him. 

 Now two men go together with the night 

 mail between those places, and very curious 

 objects they look, each carrying a long spear 

 with a bell attached, — the bell to clear the way, 

 the spear a relic of the days (not so far distant) 

 when they required a weapon against wild 



