182 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



throughout its structure. He remained long 

 enough in the island to see the railway com- 

 menced between Colombo and Kandy ; which 

 takes a passenger from the one town to the 

 other in about four hours. A great change from 

 the state of things early in the century, when 

 it was said to take a traveller from Colombo 

 six weeks to reach Kandy, trudging through 

 paddy fields, and beds of deep and heavy sand, 

 or scrambling over rocks and precipitous 

 ravines, with nothing but a narrow footpath 

 to guide him through almost impenetrable 

 jungle. I believe I am correct in saying that, 

 in proportion to its size, Ceylon is now the best 

 roaded of all the Colonies. 



