Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. MADBAS BOADS—CALCUTTA. Befobe the passengers landed at Galle, to spend the hours of their stay, quite a scene had been got up in honour of the French Commandant, who, with Monsieur le Baron, here disembarked to join the China steamer. Everyone mustered at the gangway. " Vive 1'Empereur!" and " Success to the Commandant!" was given by the gallant Major Mac- speechy, three hearty cheers made the air ring again, and the silence that followed was sweetly broken by a hundred voices joining in " Partant pour la Syrie." The effect was most impressive. The brave old soldier and his companion, deeply moved, stood hand on heart, and bowed their acknowledgments ; while the French docteur, and a French broker on board, rushed upon them and kissed them frantically. This rather spoiled the scene in English eyes; but on the whole the parting compliment was a pretty one, and was duly appreciated by our Gallic friends, and their countrymen on board. The "lions" at Galle are, a place called "Wauk Wallah," on the top of a hill, some four miles inland, and the Cinnamon Gardens. The former is a good specimen of tropical scenery,being in the centre of wooded mountains, with a view of a valley through which a river winds sluggishly along; but the journey, from the steamer's limited stay, has generally to be performed in the heat of the sun, which renders the admiration of scenery rather a warm task. The Cinnamon Gardens have no special attraction. Mrs. Chantney and Laura preferred, therefore, being cool and comfortable in the hotel, and soon had a host of Cingalese round them, offering their different wares for sale. Here is a cat's-eye stone, worth two hundred pounds, and as big as a pigeon's egg; or perhaps they would like a sapphire, of which there were plenty, varying from one ... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.