_Saturday, 24th July._--This is observed by us as a whole holiday, and after Morning Prayer nothing is required of the school till the evening service. Arthur Aruduliwar decided to have his house thatched to-day, and a large party assembled to help him. Here they do everything by means of ‘Bees,’ (working parties). ‘Bees’ dig the gardens, plant the crops, dig the food, build the houses. The women do the cooking, and the owner of the house makes the feast, this is all he has to do, he is not supposed himself to do any work. Next week they are going to thatch a gamal, more stupendous work, and a great many people are going to be engaged, and there is to be much feasting, and I believe a dance. Marvellous harmony prevails in this community at present, and I never hear a harsh expression, nor witness a passionate action. They are the merriest, happiest, most contented people I ever saw, and I think the best natured. A party from Tasmouri appeared during the morning, and Thomas Aruloli among them. I asked him to stay the night, but he replied that it was his Sunday at Tasmate to-morrow, and he would not like to miss. I was pleased at this, for it showed the boy’s conscientiousness with respect to his self-imposed duty. I gave him his goods, and he and the others started again soon after for home. These natives don’t seem to know what fatigue is, and this double journey, which I should be sorry to undertake, they make nothing of it. After a frugal lunch the boys and I went to Ruos, where we bathed and washed our clothes. The river is certainly a boon and a blessing, and a good bathe has a most invigorating effect on one. In the evening the teachers came in and sat a long time with me, and we had much suitable conversation. While they were sitting here, a sound, which I had heard all day and couldn’t find the reason of, kept going on continually, and I asked Arthur what it was. He told me it was a bamboo placed high up on a top branch of a banyan tree in front of my house, in which notches were cut below each joint, and when the wind blew strong it sounded in the bamboo with the same effect that would be produced by so many persons blowing at once into the several orifices. This seemed to me very ingenious, but Arthur Huqe tells me they have the same practice at Opa. They say when the wind blows strong the sound is heard a great distance off, and I can quite imagine it. We heard this evening the reports of two big guns in the direction of the watering place, so it is conjectured that a vessel is at anchor there. However it was too late to go and see.