CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 175 



change for us, after the solitude of Ranee- 

 totem, to feel we had neighbours near enough 

 to come out to dinner ; and a rubber of whist 

 with which we finished the evening was to us 

 quite an interesting novelty. 



Seprember nth. — A very sad event hap- 

 pened yesterday, — the death, after two days ill- 

 ness, of the young wife (the ninth successive 

 wife I am told) of one of the Kanganies. Rob 

 had seen her several times, and finding she was 

 in a very high fever, had sent for the nearest 

 doctor, who was momentarily expected when 

 the poor thing passed away. She was only a 

 fragile looking girl of twenty years of age, and 

 had already three little children, to whom she 

 will be a great loss. She must have been a 

 kind, tender-hearted woman, for only a 

 fortnight ago she nursed one of her husband's 

 coolies through a dangerous illness. No sooner 

 had the poor creature died, than the death 

 tom-tom began to beat as a kind of knell. The 

 coolies and also our servants were all in a state 

 of great excitement (I must confess, I think, 

 somewhat pleasurable excitement). A request 

 was sent to me for flowers, which of course I 

 sent ; and messengers went hurrying backwards 

 and forwards collecting materials for the feast 

 which is held after the funeral. Work was 

 knocked off at the half day, and by three o'clock 

 in the afternoon the poor girl was reposing in 



