216 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



each end, pieces of bent wood project, and are 

 attached to a long spar resting in the water. 

 This is to give the necessary stability. 



I looked rather aghast, and wondered how 

 I was ever going to get in, without capsizing 

 the boat ; however, this feat was at last ac- 

 complished with the help of the venerable 

 looking ferrymen, and much to the amusement 

 of a gaping crowd of natives who only waited for 

 me to be seated to take possession of the other 

 vacant places. I must say it was a very 

 curious sensation to feel oneself out in the 

 middle of the broad swift river in so narrow 

 a craft, that the slightest unexpected jerk or 

 movement would land one in the water, and I 

 think another time I should prefer to cross on 

 the safe but ugly raft to which I am accustomed. 



When in Kandy I visited the shop of a well- 

 known native jeweller by name Casa Lebbe, 

 who showed me a most tempting collection of 

 unset gems. Amongst others, sapphires of many 

 shades, rubies, pink garnets, moonstones, tour- 

 malines, amethysts, spinnels, and chrisoberyls. 

 White sapphires when well cut, have very much 

 the sparkle of diamonds and something of the 

 yellow tinge of Brazilian diamonds. I was 

 shown lovely necklaces of native manufacture 

 and design, gems merely encircled in a rim of 

 gold depending from a coil of twisted gold- wire, 

 others again of lightly set jewels forming a 



