In the afternoon the Doctor ordered a carriage and went with his young companions to the Pettah, or Black Town, and into the open country beyond it. They found that the Black Town was laid out with wide streets, and had a handsome market-house, under the superintendence of an Englishman. The fine display of fruits in the market showed how Colombo is favored by its tropical climate, and the varied lot of fish told of the wealth of the sea. Frank called the attention of his cousin to several fishes whose like they had not seen before, and Fred responded by pointing out some fresh varieties of fruit.
They passed stores and large shops that were kept by men with foreign features, but with skins quite as dark as those of the natives. The Doctor said these men were descended from the Portuguese, who were the first Europeans to settle in Ceylon, and take possession of the country. Many of them had accumulated large fortunes, and their houses were on a scale that corresponded to the wealth of the owners. Many of these houses have fine gardens attached to them, and there are some gardens that cost many thousands of dollars. The Dutch, who held Ceylon after the Portuguese, and before the English occupation, have left a good many descendants in Colombo, and nearly all of them are rich and correspondingly happy. They spend their lives in Ceylon, and never think of going to Holland to reside.
MOORISH MERCHANTS OF CEYLON.
There are a good many half-caste descendants of the Dutch and Portuguese, and where they are not transacting business on their own account, they are employed as clerks, either by the Government or by private individuals. The Parsees and Moormen are all merchants, and of late years they have been forced into competition with the Chinese, who have begun to invade Ceylon.
A SUBURBAN SCENE.