98 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



for me. I cannot say enough for Ceylon 

 hospitality. An almost utter stranger, you find 

 yourself welcomed into the pretty pleasant 

 homes, as if you were an old friend, and in 

 cases of illness the kindness and attention one 

 receives are almost incredible. It quite raises 

 one's opinion of human nature, and sends one 

 on one's way rejoicing to find there are such 

 kind people in the world. 



May 23rd. — The Kandy festivities are just 

 over. They always take place twice a year, at 

 new year, and on, or near to the date of the late 

 Queen's birthday, and consist of a tennis tourna- 

 ment, and gymkana under the auspices of the 

 Sports Club ; and include sometimes a ball at 

 Government House, if the Viceregal party 

 happen to be in residence. In any case there is 

 a public ball of some sort, and often a concert. 

 People come into the hotels for two or three 

 days from the neighbourhood, and the ladies 

 take this opportunity of wearing their very 

 smartest frocks. The gymkana ground is a 

 lovely flat, wedge-shaped, well turfed and em- 

 bossomed in wooded hills. A grand-stand with 

 dressing-rooms attached, and also, on this oc- 

 casion, a temporary stand, exquisitely decorated 

 with a fringe of the delicate young leaves of the 

 plantain and the cocoanut palm. The events 

 consisted of golf-driving, pigeon-shooting, 

 bending races on bicycles, and on horseback, 



