APPENDIX  V.
 

             ROUND AND ACROSS THE ISLAND.



           (By J. Ferguson—Written early in 1891.)



               On Board the S.S. '•'■Lady Gordon."



" Twice round  the world and never round Ceylon " is a reproach on an

old colonist, which has scarcely been wiped out by our recent holiday

trip.  The circumnavigation of the island has yet to be completed, or at

least that portion between Batticaloa  and Point de Galle.   It was no

dislike to our good steamer, the Lady Gordon, that made our part

of the voyage end off the Batticaloa bar.  We  can truly say that the

longer we continued on board the more we liked our  quarters and her

ladyship—a perfect sea boat, as she has proved herself in more than one

storm and difficult passage, buoyant as a bird on the roughest seas—and

under her careful, attentive commander we should be well pleased to

run to Dunedin, Yokohama, or the Pacific coast in place of round Ceylon

in our favourite island steamer Lady Gordon.

   How great the  change in outlook which a single day's voyage from

the palm-covered  coast of Colombo can effect !   Drawing near the low-

lying sandy  coasts and islets  which betoken  the  neighbourhood of

Paumben, we may well rub our eyes and begin to doubt whether we are

not off the Egyptian coast and preparing to  enter the Suez  Canal. A

closer inspection  dispels the illusion, and the passage of the Paumben

Channel, though  not without its inconveniences and  even risks,  con¬

sidering the often very strong current and the tortuous course followed,

is still only to be compared to  one of the bends in the far-famed canal,

the  last mile in the smaller  Bitter Lake, which, however, has often

proved a snare to heavily-laden steamers. - In our experience of Paumben,

we saw how delays arise through one vessel having to wait on another—

the S.S. Aska having first  entered the channel from the other end, our

steamer had to hold back until she had passed out.





                 At Paumben and Ramesvaram.



   It is very convenient for passengers when the S.S. Lady Gordon can

afford those desirous of visiting t]ie far-famed Hindu temples of Rames¬

 varam the necessary time.   The next point of call  is Kangesanturai, the

 port of Jaffna of the north-east monsoon season, and as there is no

object in making that  port before daylight, a few hours' stay of the

 steamer at Paumben causes no delay in the  voyage.   There  is nothing

 attractive  in Paumben  station itself, low-lying, with abundance of the

 sand which distinguishes the island and reminds one of Egypt, and with

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