122 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



one and all quite ignorant of the rudiments of 

 starching and ironing. All are alike destruct- 

 ive to anything in the shape of lace or frills, 

 and all equally unpunctual and dilatory, 

 To-day our specimen of the tribe brought my 

 pocket handkerchiefs unironed, so I had a flat 

 iron heated, ironed them myself, and then sent 

 some out for his inspection. I believe he had 

 the grace to be ashamed and promised better 

 things next time. 



I carried on my laundress operations in the 

 verandah and was surrounded by a group 

 of openmouthed spectators, the horse-keeper, 

 poultry-boy, appu, kitchen coolie, and "Nipper" 

 all watching the process with deep interest. 

 Here, I should like to recommend any ladies 

 coming to the planting districts of Ceylon to 

 have the greater part of their garments made 

 plainly, and to eschew the temptation of dainty 

 and fragile trimmings. I would also strongly 

 advise them to bring with them a box-iron (I 

 could not get one in Kandy) with which to 

 smooth their ribbons and laces. Servants 

 cannot be made to keep the other kind of iron 

 clean, and as it has to be heated in the ashes 

 of the cooking place, it is very apt to get 

 greasy and otherwise dirty. 



June 2 ist. — . The longest day. How different 

 from England. Day breaks in Ceylon about 

 five a.m. and it gets dark at seven p.m. One 



