pair sought a suicide's grave
in the depths of the sea.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Circumnavigating the Island.--Batticaloa, Capital of the
Eastern Province.--Rice Culture.--Fish Shooting.--Point
Pedro.--Jaffna.--Northern Province.--Oriental Bazaars.--Milk
ignored.--The Clear Sea and White, Sandy Bottom.--American
Missionaries.--A Medical Bureau.--Self-Respect a Lost
Virtue.--Snake Temples.--Ramisseram.--Adam's Bridge.--A Huge
Hindu Temple.--Island of Manaar.--Aripo.--The Port of
Negombo.--Tamil Coolies.--Homeward Bound.--A Farewell View.

No one on visiting Ceylon, who can possibly spare the necessary time,
should fail to circumnavigate the island. Since 1889, a number of
lighthouses have been erected from Colombo round the entire southern
coast, adding a degree of security to navigation which was much
needed. These beacon stars are so numerous as to be almost within
sight of one another. That at Dondra Head stands one hundred and
seventy feet above sea level. The vessels which make this circuit stop
at each of the large ports to discharge and take on cargo, thus
enabling the traveler to land and get a very good general idea of each
place with its near surroundings. If the visitor desires to do so, he
can remain at any of these places until the boat comes again in its
regular course, when the journey may be resumed. It is well to stop at
Point Pedro and at Jaffna in this way, as they are neighborhoods of
more than ordinary interest, both present and historic. We should
advise a few days' delay also at Ramisseram, a part of the time being
divided between this place and the large island of Manaar, which is
quite accessible.

The pleasantest way to accomplish this circuit is to take the boat at
Point de Galle, the first place at which it is desirable to land being
Batticaloa, the capital of the eastern province. There is a bar at the
mouth of this harbor which is a serious impediment to making an
entrance into the little bay. When the sea breeze is strong, and
during the southeast monsoon, a line of breakers is created upon the
shoal, and no attempt is made to land. This is a great rice-raising
region, which gets its artificial water supply from two extensive
neighboring lakes or tanks. Twenty-five thousand acres of land may be
seen hereabouts under rice cultivation, yielding two crops per annum.
The Portuguese built a substantial stone fort at Batticaloa, which was
afterwards a