CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 137 



Down here in the low country, we are 

 debarred, owing to the danger of snakes, from 

 having our bungalows covered with the wealth 

 of beautiful creepers, which make an up country 

 home a perfect bower of loveliness. But we 

 have, and especially on Raneetotem, one great 

 compensation for many other disadvantages, that 

 is, a superabundance of fruit. I use the word 

 superabundance advisedly, for at present we 

 have a number of pawpaws, about sixteen 

 pineapples, also mangoes, custard apples, 

 pomegranates, and limes all wanting eating. I 

 only wish I had a fairy wand, and could tran- 

 sport divers young nieces and nephews into 

 their midst. My favourite fruit is the pawpaw ; 

 it has very much the appearance and taste of 

 a superlatively good rock melon, but with the 

 addition of a peculiar flavour of its own. It is 

 said to contain a large amount of vegetable 

 pepsine. Some scientific men are trying experi- 

 ments in order to find out if the pepsine can be 

 profitably extracted, and pawpaws grown for 

 commercial purposes. 



This is a land of surprises. This morning I 

 passed a cooly woman washing clothes at the 

 dam, to my astonishment she suddenly said, 

 K Bon jour, madame." The mystery was soon 

 explained, she is one of a new gang of coolies 

 just come to Raneetotem, and is a native of 

 the Isle of Bourbon. Unfortunately the French 



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