You find the paddy or rice fields in the valleys cultivated by the natives, who subsist mostly upon rice, made into curry, adding a sauce composed of cocoa, pepper, ginger, and coriander seed. Most of them are Boodhists, and touch no animal food, it being contrary to their religion to take life. They are often seen with almost naked skins, and hatless heads, their hair tied up in a bunch behind or falling over their shoulders, following black, uncouth, and sluggish buffaloes, which drag a rude wooden plough through the muddy field, inundated from the mountain streams.
Since the English have occupied the country, the colonial government has opened good roads, and much attention has been given to the planting of coffee, which is the chief source of profit, and enables it to place its troops in different parts of the island. An attempt at rebellion in this the most warlike province, two years since, after a considerable massacre, was soon suppressed. The road to Colombo is now much travelled by two-wheeled carts with high covered tops of cocoa-nut plaited branches, drawn by diminutive black cattle, about three or four feet high, with short horns, looking not unlike large calves, but tough and strong. Travelling Bandys are frequently seen; they are about the size of a good dog cart, with a small bullock in the shafts, and a cord running through his nose and over his head, to the sides of which a pair of lines are attached; two or three persons sit inside with their knees drawn up to the chin. The cabins by the road-side are in low and sheltered positions; they are furnished with two or three stools, a few plaited mats, earthen water-jars, a rice mortar, and some few culinary articles. Such of the women as are not engaged in weeding and reaping in the fields busy themselves in preparing betel, cooking curry, or in attending to their children. In approaching Colombo, as also this place, appearances change, the difference of caste, of which they were very particular under the old regime, being still seen.
The Kandians, despising the effeminate combs of the low-country people, wear a gay-colored handkerchief tied around the head, leaving the top exposed; they wear a white or fancy colored cloth of double breadth wrapped around the loins, while Mormons or Mussulmans with turbans, and Hindoos with painted faces, and also Malabars and other races, make up the picturesque masquerade. The Rhodias, or outcasts, a sort of Gipsies, are not permitted to wear any garment other than a sense of propriety suggests. The better caste of women appear here with heads uncovered, a long cloth of single breadth wrapped around the loins and falling to the ankles, and a portion thrown over the left shoulder. They wear silver, crystal, and brass bangles or bracelets, and flat ear-rings about the size of a quarter dollar, and the thickness of a child’s tin whistle; the holes of the ears are cut and distended by weights while young, to receive their flat rings; they also wear gold clasps in the top of the ear, which gives them a strange appearance, particularly with the addition of rings in the nose and on the toes. Umbrellas and dried branches of the tallipot tree are much in use to prevent the action of the sun’s rays. This is the residence of Governor Anderson, whose houses and grounds are quite pretty. There are some fifty foreigners, inclusive of ladies, as civilians, in addition to a regiment of troops, partly Europeans and partly Malays.
From Singapore we passed up the Straits of Malacca to Penang, on Prince of Wales Island, where we coaled and remained one day, which gave an opportunity for a ride to see the town, and then proceeded to Ceylon, making the distance of some fourteen hundred miles within eight days to Point de Galle, where I left the steamer on my way north to Calcutta, while she proceeded to Suez.
LXVI.
Kandy, Island of Ceylon, Sept. 20, 1851.
I am surprised to find such remains of civilization among a people who once had a dense population, and were somewhat advanced in the arts, as their relics testify, but who had fallen to the darkest period of the middle ages. The palace of the king, the hall of audience, with its elaborately-carved wooden columns, the hexagonal tower two stories high, and the chief Boodhist temple of the island, formerly under royal patronage, present a front of some six hundred feet of ground, with a wall and moat with drawbridge, supplied with water from a beautiful artificial lake, with a long line of parapet with triangular centres whereon to place lamps during the illuminations, and when the king addressed the people from the balcony overhanging the canal, and witnessed the religious processions with elephants which are annually continued.
These buildings are now all occupied for government purposes, except the temple of Boodh. On its archways and walls are sculptured hideous figures of dragons, and images of gods and devils; the paintings are rude, and bear a mixed resemblance to those of China and Egypt. The present powder-house is in a small building in the centre of the lake, which was a great resort for the king, while the harem-building on its banks is the hospital for sick soldiers.
We have just had a festival day, and I have occupied some time among the Boodhists. Their daily hours of worship are from six to eight in the morning, and the same time in the evening, and on this occasion the noise of the silver tom-toms, or kettle-drums, and the harsh sound of as many instruments resembling the Scotch bagpipe, with their discordant sounds, were almost deafening. One of the sanctums of the temple, which is ascended by a small flight of steps, has two immense pairs of elephant tusks, also the carved and painted figures of devils, to guard the entrance, and the room is about twelve feet square, hung with gold brocade, somewhat rusty. Upon a raised platform, inclosed by railings, and hourly unlocked, is seen a figure not unlike a huge bell, thirty-four and a half feet high, and nine and a half feet in circumference. It is in three pieces, which are joined, and which contain within each other seven smaller caskets; the smallest is supposed by the people to contain the tooth of their god Boodh.
The outer casket, or figure, is ornamented with rich gold chains and gems; the most remarkable is the figure of a gold bird, suspended by massive chains, beset with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. This is considered by the natives the most valuable acquisition in the world. Another of the sanctums contains the figures of gods, of gold and silver gilt, and of colossal size; the entrance is guarded by lions, the altars are covered by sweet smelling sacred flowers, which the devotees of all classes and sexes make as offerings before prostrating themselves and retiring in succession, and which the priests, with shaved heads, in yellow robes, receive. The people came loaded from the country with supplies suspended at the two ends of poles, borne upon the naked shoulder—the usual manner of carrying burdens; and at twelve (noon), the priests partook of a repast. It reminded me of a vegetable and fruit market, with heaps of rice, cocoas, pineapples, and prepared betel, to the use of which the priests are addicted, besides a variety of presents. As I stood alone among these half-clad heathen, who stared at me with surprise, I accosted a boy whose dress indicated Christian discipline, and who, speaking English, was able to give me much information, having been educated by a Protestant missionary.