CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 133 



healthy climate, and then the value is of course 

 higher. 



M It is an ill wind that blows nobody any 

 good." The drought that has been the bane 

 of the spring cocoa crop, has been most bene- 

 ficial to the cotton crop, and has enabled it to 

 be picked in first rate condition. There is 

 something to me most attractive in the sight of 

 great bales of snow white cotton wool (for that 

 is what it looks like), and I have been amusing 

 myself by making cushions of all that I could 

 glean about the Estate, for in spite of the vigi- 

 lance of the Kanganies a few pods here and 

 there escape notice. Just before leaving home, 

 I popped into my box a number of stray pieces 

 of bazaar odds and ends, such as bits of 

 cretonne, art muslin, silks, art serges, etc. I 

 have found them most useful in decorating 

 this most undecorative bungalow. I should 

 strongly advise anyone coming out here to 

 bring with them everything and anything of 

 that sort that they can lay hands on. Also a 

 few cheap picture frames. Articles that would 

 seem tawdry and makeshift in an English 

 drawing-room have quite a different aspect 

 when it comes to filling an apartment with 

 four bare white-washed walls, and coir matted 

 floors. 



The ants have made another assault on my 

 bedroom. This time they began by making 



