CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 203 



tables in the huge white dining saloon of the 

 Galle Face Hotel, may be seen at one time 

 passengers from England, France, and 

 Germany, India, China, the Straits, Burmah, 

 and Australia and New Zealand. Whilst I was 

 staying there one of the Japanese passenger 

 line steamers came in. The next table to us 

 was occupied by a Japanese lady and two 

 gentlemen, all in European dress, but their 

 Japanese servant waited on them in most 

 gorgeous attire, a mixture of silk and gold 

 embroidery impossible to describe. 



Colombo itself is full of interest with its shops 

 of native jewellery and all the products of the 

 East, in the shape of rich stuffs, and em- 

 broideries, china, carved woods, tortoiseshell, 

 silver, lace, and in fact every sort of novelty to 

 tempt the Western eye, and to open the 

 Western purse. It has also a museum, fine 

 harbour works, and there are many lovely 

 drives in the suburbs. 



I returned home to find that the excellent 

 young servant, whom I have previously 

 mentioned, had been the victim of a bad attack 

 of malarial fever, and was quite incapacitated 

 for work. We had a doctor, and set ourselves 

 to follow his directions to nurse the boy 

 back to health and strength. Thinking that 

 the nourishing food we could give him would 

 accomplish that object more qutekly, than if we 



