152 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



Next morning the festival culminated in 

 the expedition to the Mahavillagange, near 

 Peradeniya, about three miles from Kandy, 

 in order to cut the waters of the river with 

 swords. The residue of last years holy water 

 is poured back into the bosom of the river, 

 and a fresh supply taken in from the portion 

 of water disturbed by the sword ; then the 

 multitude return to Kandy. Once more the 

 procession wends its way through the streets, 

 a gun is fired from the temple as a signal that 

 all is over, and in less than an hour the 

 crowd has melted away, the booths are being 

 taken down and the town is in the hands of 

 a perfect army of scavengers. Before 

 evening, all was as quiet as if the ten days 

 festival had never taken place. 



I was astonished at the orderliness of the 

 crowd ; during the two days that I was present. 

 I only saw one drunken man and he was being 

 taken away out of sight by some of his com- 

 panions. Though I went freely about the 

 streets, I never met with the slightest incivilty 

 or the least rudeness or pushing. I am afraid 

 I should not be able to say the same for an 

 English crowd of like proportions. 



During the year many other pereheras are 

 held in Kandy, and the other different towns, 

 but on a much smaller scale than this. 



It must be remembered that Ceylon is the 



