Item 01: R. T. Vowles diary, 22 August 1915-23 February 1916 - Page 102
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[Page 102]
generally at the back of the town, but the real native quarters are well out of town &; are interesting in a way . Squalid buildings with rough & broken furniture & youngsters quite naked crawl all over the floor & into the streets where as soon as they can walk & talk they begin to beg for money. All, or most of the natives carry their money in their mouths & their capacity in this respect is wonderful.
The Australian pound note is exchanged for 19/- at the GPO but some natives will give 19/6, but one wants to make sure that he does not get any Ceylon money, some of the coins resembling English money but are worth very little. A golden sovereign brings over its worth by exchange.
Down one of the main streets in the centre of the city is a tower with a clock on the top. Above this is the lighthouse that guides shipping into the harbour. The famous cinnamon gardens are well worth seeing, they are simply long pathways through the Gardens, plenty of palm-trees to