No. 40. — 1890.] account of ceylon. 



32P> 



us in a very friendly manner, but we could not stay long, as we 

 expected to leave the Galyettis for Choromandel the next day. 



We then inspected hurriedly all that seemed worthy of 

 seeing in Matera. The DutchFort was built in a pleasant situa- 

 tion. The Cingalese lived in fair, cheaply built dwellings. 

 Behind Matera, pretty stretches of grass lands, mountains, 

 plains, and rivers were visible. In some places the woods 

 furnished great quantities of aromatic cinnamon. The town 

 itself was not big, but had wide streets, and was fairly well 

 populated ; it stretches along a small bay. Here the dark- 

 skinned Cingalese live quietly and peaceably under the rule 

 of the Dutch. They get a living by agriculture, the gather- 

 ing of crops, for the most part cinnamon, and areeck, and 

 sometimes also by fishing and hunting, or other work. 



After bidding farewell to our friends, we again travelled 

 through the jungle, and at times along the beach until we 

 came to the hamlet of Dundery. A number of black women, 

 whom we took to be Cingalese whores, danced, sang, and 

 shrieked lustily in the middle of the street, and with their 

 ridiculous music, their droll antics, and foolish contortions 

 made merry sport. However, we hurried onwards, and 

 in the evening at the Galyettis reached the ships. 



The next day we weighed our three anchors, and unfurled 

 our sails. The weather was squally, and when we ran out of 

 the Galyettis bay, we got a heavy cross-sea with strong blasts 

 of wind. We were in danger of being thrown against the cliffs 

 and rocks in the middle of the narrow passage, and the ship- 

 wreck we dreaded would have been terrible in the violent 

 surf. But thanks be to God, we were spared, and emerged 

 from the peril between rocks and cliffs into the open 

 sea. We left the other vessel in the Galyettis to await good 

 weather, and proceed to Puneto gale as soon as it became 

 practicable. 



We now set all our sails and steered east-north-east, and 

 again more points north, along the pleasant coast of Ceilon. 

 We passed two dangerous banks called the Great and Little 

 Baxos. We now sailed north and then north-east. We 



