332 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
contains within it about a wine glass of pure limpid water. 
There is no appearance of any passage for the entrance of this 
water ; but the general way of accounting for the pheno- 
menon is, that it is formed by the dew soaking through the 
valve. Shortly after being pulled, the head, from the pres- 
sure of the water inside, bursts, and the coat soon withers 
away ; but as long as it is able to retain the water, it re- 
mains round, distended, and in full vigour. The seeds are 
small and black, not unlike those of the tulip. 
The flowers of Ceylon, though not numerous nor much 
attended to by the natives, have a most rich and exquisite 
scent. I have already mentioned a species of jessamine , which 
is worn by the ladies of Ceylon, both on account of its 
odour and the ornamental appearance of its beautiful white 
flowers. The scent is too powerful for an European, but is 
highly esteemed among the natives. 
The champaca produces flowers of a most elegant saffron 
colour, with which the native women adorn their hair, and 
produce a fine contrast to its glossy jet. They are also ac- 
customed to strew it over their beds and furniture. 
As the chief food of the natives consists of rice , so their 
principal labour consists in the cultivation of it. It is sown 
chiefly in the level lands towards the southwest of the island. 
In the interior, little in proportion is sown, owing to the 
woods and the steep nature of the country, which prevent 
the rice from being properly flooded. The manner of culti- 
vating it is as follows : around the fields intended for the re- 
