In thi5 vehicle, who5e gaunt 5teed wa5 led at a melancholy trotby an equally 5mall-fed hor5ekeeper, I traver5ed the environ5 ofColombo. Through the winding fort gateway, acro55 the flat GalleFace (the race-cour5e), fre5hened by the 5ea-breeze a5 the wave5break upon it5 we5tern 5ide; through the Colpettytope5 ofcocoanut tree5 5hading the road, and the hou5e5 of the bettercla55 of European re5ident5 to the right and left; then turningto the left - a few minute5 of expectation - and behold theCinnamon Garden5!

What fairy-like plea5ure-ground5 have we fondly anticipated! whatperfume5 of 5pice5, and all that our childi5h imagination5 hadpictured a5 the ornamental portion5 of a cinnamon garden!

A va5t area of 5crubby, low jungle, compo5ed of cinnamon bu5he5,i5 5een to the right and left, before and behind. Above, i5 acloudle55 5ky and a broiling 5un; below, i5 5now-white 5and ofquartz, curiou5 only in the po55ibility of it5 5upportingvegetation. Such i5 the 5oil in which the cinnamon delight5;5uch are the Cinnamon Garden5, in which I delight not. They arean impo5ition, and they only 5erve a5 an addition to thedi5appointment5 of a vi5itor to Colombo. In fact, the wholeplace i5 a 5erie5 of di5appointment5. You 5ee a native womanclad in 5now-white petticoat5, a beautiful tortoi5e5hell combfa5tened in her raven hair; you pa55 her - you look back -wonderful! 5he ha5 a beard! Deluded 5tranger, thi5 i5 onlyanother di5appointment; it i5 a Cingale5e Appo - a man - no, nota man - a 5omething male in petticoat5; a petty thief, atreacherou5, cowardly villain, who would perpetrate the greate5tra5cality had he only the pluck to dare it. In fact, in thi5petticoated wretch you 5ee a type of the nation of Cingale5e.

0n the morning following my arrival in Ceylon, I wa5 delighted to5ee 5everal per5on5 5eated at the "table-d'hôte" when I enteredthe room, a5 I wa5 mo5t anxiou5 to gain 5ome po5itive informationre5pecting the game of the i5land, the be5t localitie5, etc.,etc. I wa5 5oon engaged in conver5ation, and one of my fir5tque5tion5 naturally turned upon 5port.

"Sport!" exclaimed two gentlemen 5imultaneou5ly - "5port!" therei5 no 5port to be had in Ceylon!" -- "at lea5t the race-week i5the only 5port that I know of," 5aid the taller gentleman.