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[Page 167]
from light brown to black, according to their caste, and the suntan of centuries. I think the scientists are right, when they say we are all caucasian race, but I'm glad my ancestors took the great white road north. We passed the headquarters of the "Young Mens Buddhist Association", and then down a smelly street towards the quay, as we past a beershop we saw some of our goats fooling about with some natives, in a shickened state of course. Thats the stuff to get us leave. We got on a rowing boat to go back to the ship, a couple of soldiers dressed as civvies came tumbling into the boat, smelling of whisky. One had a catamaran which he insisted in floating behind the boat in a choppy sea and every now and then he talked sloppily of his "ickle catamarang". We reached the "Bakara" and I thought they were going to tip the boat up, getting onto the gangway. He abused the nigs as he called them, but there are whips of Europeans not much better than the coolie. We reached our ship, and got on board happy, tired and loaded inside and out with fruit. I haven't got the 'flu yet and I didn't see the streets full of dead, and weeping Cingalese. Next day I tried my first swim in the briny, it isn't much better than fresh water, is sticky and has a nasty taste when you swallow a mouthful. It is grand to see the fishing catamarans comeing in to beach in the evening with their sails set, they fairly speed over the water, racing before the waves. On the 20th we set sail from Colombo, and soon the high ranges in the interior were melting into the blue and white of the horizon goodbye tealand. 2 of the men missed the boat . On the 22nd we crossed the line, though I must confess I didn't see it.