KANDY IN EARLY PLANTING DAYS. 
separates the eastern portion of the black town, or 
bazar, from the lake, and is used as a sort of public 
common by the townspeople, the dhobis or washer- 
men drying their clothes on it during the day the 
ayahs strolling about with their charges when the sun 
has gone down over the Kadugannawa pass. But the 
little fellows neither romp nor play ; after making a few 
efforts at a run they will squat down on the grassj 
look very sedate and grave, and seemingly amuse them- 
selves by looking at the passers-by and sucking their fin- 
gers. Just as the ayahs and children have taken their 
departure, a few horsemen will make their appearance 
either previous to or after a ride round the lake. 
If the grass is clear of strollers they would give 
their horses a short sharp canter round, before going 
home to their cold bath, sherry and bitters, and dinner. 
The common or grass field is called The Esplanade ” 
and being immediately adjoining the town — in fact, 
just attached to it — although small, is of great use 
and importance to all colours and castes of the in- 
habitants. The streets of the town run at right-angles, 
from north to south and from east to west. They 
then consisted of native huts, built of mud and 
thatched with coconut tree leaves, but owing to the 
frequent fires which often broke out red tile is now 
in general use. The houses have all an open verandah 
in front, in which are exposed for sale, if they are 
shops or bazars, rice, salt fish, tobacco, grains, curry 
stuffs, coconuts, and what not, in the midst of which 
sits the owner, cross-legged, on a mat, ready to supply- 
customers, 
Kandy, on a Sunday, was, and of course still is, a 
sight worth seeing to the new arrival, for then all 
the coolies from surrounding estates and districts come 
in for their supplies, a motley crowd. The yellow robe 
and shaven head of the Buddhist priest, the red and 
white turbans, the loose flowing white cloths of the 
Madras and Bombay Asiatics, the skull . cap on the 
bare shaven skull of the Muhammadan, here and there 
a Chinaman with his tail, and the hum, noise and 
confusion of languages, puts one in mind of Babel. 
Kandy is much the same now as it was then, only 
cleaner, and as the old buildings have given way 
better and more substantial ones of brick, mortar and 
tiled roof have taken their place. The seat of Gov- 
ernment is Colombo, but there is a Government House 
here, called the Pavilion, of unostentatious pretensions 
and dimensions, only used during the occasional brief 
visits of the Governor, which are generally of a tem- 
porary nature.^ A Government ball is given once a 
* The Pavilion is deemed one of the most pleasant of 
vice-regal residences in tropical colonies. 
