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[Page 165]
but the European officials who came on board told us of 500 deaths a week, though 12 months ago, perhaps. Its no use minceing matters. Our men who came before, have had a few goats among them, which have spoilt the show for us. These men if you can call them such, get drunk, become heroic, smash a few windows, stoush a couple of natives, and do a few unwriteable things. The Europeans on shore think our men are all the same, as the decent fellow passes by in the street unnoticed, and we are not welcome, that is the truth. Well most of the fellows got on board the coal and water barges that were going ashore and we went ashore in them, so I decide to go and do likewise. I and a companion, got out of the trapdoor, onto a waterpunt that had an engine on and pushed off from the ship, and then we found the engine was for pumping water, not propelling the boat, the only means of locomotion, other than a tug, the wretchedly heavy tub had, was one oar, about as useful as a tea spoon for the purpose, and a sail made of hessian with holes enough in to let a hurricane through. Here we were marooned not on a desert island but on an ancient water barge, Poor old Robinson Crusoe, I pity him. Then as luck would have it a coal barge came alongside, going ashore and we leapt on board we were saved thank goodness. We got ashore opposite the coal dump, and ran up to a close by road and got a rickshaw. Mac and I got in one I weigh 10 stone and he 11, so it was no light weight for a rickshaw man to pull, I expected a policeman to pull us up for cruelty, but none did, so I suppose the laws are different to those at home. We went through rows and rows of cocoanut palms, and then amongst rows of native houses to the maintown. We went to see the Banyan tree 2 miles out in the gardens. In the streets one could see signs in Cingalese and English for native doctors, lawyers, gramophone, and watch repairers electricians and etc. We passed a Buddhist temple with those awful and weird carvings on it, then a mahomm