250 EVERYDAY LIFE ON A 



vain to ask for a small nail with which to fasten 

 some fringe, I at last took Abdul to a wall and 

 showed him one, and he exclaimed to his fellow 

 servant in Tamil, "Oh, it's tintacks she wants," 

 using the proper English word. There is no 

 Tamil equivalent for many manufactured articles, 

 and the English word with a Tamily pronuncia- 

 tion is used. 



Anyone coming to Ceylon should set to work 

 at once to learn this language for a knowledge 

 of it will add much not only to the comfort, but 

 to the interest of his life. Even the few 

 words I have picked up are a great help to me. 

 Sinhalese is not necessary for a lady in the 

 planting districts, as she very seldom comes in 

 contact with Sinhalese natives. It is, of the 

 two, much the prettier language, and has a soft 

 liquid sound of the Italian type, very pleasant 

 to listen to. The two races keep quite distinct, 

 and it is not very often one finds a Tamil coolie 

 who speaks Sinhalese. 



February 25th. — To-day, amongst much 

 shouting and vociferation on the part of the 

 cattle-shed coolies, the working bullocks have 

 been undergoing their monthly shoeing. I say 

 undergoing with reason, for to them it must be 

 a trying process. They are first thrown, then 

 their four feet are tied together with a strong 

 rope, a sack filled with grass being placed under 

 the feet to support and slightly raise them, a 



