KA'^TDY in early PLANTINa DAYS. 
that emanating from an oil called vay pani. It 
however seems not in the least to incommode them ; 
on the contrary, they rather appear to enjoy it, sitting 
down on their hind legs and gently drawing their 
fingers over their oiled arms and legs, as if entranced 
in ecstasy or lost in some dreamy enjoyment. A curious 
general fact may be here stated, one which is not 
generally known, a fact which, notwithstanding the 
writer’s long residence in Ceylon, he has never heard 
satisfactorily explained. It is this ; that the dark-skinned 
races of all shades, wash them, clean and scrub them 
as you will, have naturally au odour proceeding from 
the skin, which nothing- can check or take away ; and 
this orlonr is naturally repulsive to the sense of smell 
in a European, and it may — no doubt does — in some 
measure proceed from this, or may account for the 
iumany cases almost instinctive aversion one feels in 
sitting down in a railway carriage or any crowded room 
in close proximity with a black skin. This feeling of 
aversion does not proceed from the fact that the man’s skin 
is a different colour from yours, but from the exhalations 
which proceed from it. Are our philanthropists aware of 
this fact when they declare black and w^hite to 
be all alike, “ a man and a brother ”? If not, let 
some of them make a trial, get into a railway carriage 
squeezed in amongst a number of very stout Nega- 
tpatam cbettis, with only sufficient clothing on to 
answer the purposes of common decency ; when at the 
end of his journey ask him how he feels in his 
nostrils. Don’t let him jump out too soon when the 
train stops ; let him take an affectionate farewell of his 
relations, as descended from dam, and tears will 
force themselves from his eyes, induced — by the smell 
of garlic! In order to. quell his tears, let him ask 
for a kiss of peace on the termination of the journey, 
and let him watch the preparations made as a pre- 
liminary to the kiss. The mouth must be cleared ; 
what is this? Is it the life-blood welling from the 
heart, wrung from it in agony at the thoughts of 
parting? Has the poor man burst a blood-vessel ? Or is 
it — only “ betel”? After this, if he can take his kiss 
in peace, and be at peace, he is very welcome to 
his frame of mind; we do not envy it? After our 
first night in the suburbs of Kandy we were early 
astir next morning to have a look about, and also 
to purcha'^e a sun hat and an umbrella. These are 
generally the first purchases one makes after arrival, 
just on the same principle ,^as the first purchases one 
makes, on arrival in England, are a chimney-pot 
hat and a pair of kid gloves, You must conform to 
the customs of the country, you know,” only that the 
aun hat and umbrella are essential necessities and 
