In the following pages I have tried to keep as far as possible to the relation of things actually seen and heard, and not to be betrayed into doubtful generalisations. It is so easy in the case of a land like India, which is as large as Europe (without Russia) and at least as multifarious in its peoples, languages, creeds, customs, and manners, to make the serious mistake of supposing that what is true of one locality necessarily applies to the whole vast demesne, that I must specially warn the reader not only against falling into this error himself, but against the possibility of my having fallen into it in places. As far as actual experience of life in Ceylon and India is concerned I have perhaps been fortunate; not only in being introduced (through the kindness of local friends) into circles of traditional teaching which are often closed against the English, and in so getting to know something of the esoteric religious lore of South India; but also in obtaining some interesting glimpses behind the scenes of the Hindu ceremonial. I have too had the good luck to find friends and familiar acquaintances among all classes of native society, down almost to the lowest; and I must say that the sectional view I have thus obtained of the mass-people in this part of the world has made me feel with renewed assurance the essential oneness of humanity everywhere, notwithstanding the very marked local and superficial differences that undoubtedly exist. The spectacle of the social changes now taking place in India is one that is full of interest to any one who has studied and taken part in the Socialistic movement at home; and the interest of it is likely to increase. For though the movement in India is not the same as that at home, it forms a curious counterpart to the latter; and being backed by economic changes which will probably persist for years to come is not likely to die out very soon. For the rest the book must rely on the description of scenes of nature and of ordinary human life, whose unexpected vividness forced me to portray them--though to begin with I had no intention of doing so. The illustrations are many of them taken from the excellent photographs of Messrs. Scowen of Colombo, Messrs. Bourn of Bombay, and Messrs. Frith of Reigate. E. C. _Nov. 1892._ CONTENTS _CEYLON._ CHAPTER I. COLOMBO. PAGES The Suez Canal--Port Said--Gulf of Suez--The Red Sea-- Colombo--Its streets and population--Picturesque glimpses--Tommy Atkins in a jinrickshaw--The Tamils and the Cinghalese--Costume and Character--Language and Literature--The British and the Eurasians--Social arrangements and amenities--“Spicy gales”--The coco-nut palm--A catamaran 5–25 CHAPTER II. KANDY AND PEASANT LIFE.