Some of the men of Ceylon wear tortoise-shell combs in their hair.
They are very proud of these combs, and some of them are very handsome.

[Illustration: {Ceylon family--a man, a woman, and two babies}]

6. The children of Ceylon seem very happy. They are pretty and clean,
and always obey their parents. Many of them learn to speak and read
English. They love dancing and singing, and they never quarrel.

[Illustration: Ceylon Girls Playing the Tom-Tom.

(From the picture by E.A. Hornel. By permission of the Corporation of
Manchester.)]

7. By the next ship home I am sending mother a chest of tea. The tea
grew on the hills of Ceylon. I made a journey to these hills by train.
On the way we passed through thick forests, and by the side of beautiful
rivers.

8. Ceylon is very rich in plants and trees. The cocoanut palm grows
almost everywhere. On one of the rivers I saw a raft of cocoanuts. A man
swam behind it and pushed it along.

[Illustration: {Cocoanut palm tree}]

9. With this letter I send you a picture of a tea-garden. Notice the men
and women plucking the leaf. Many of them come from the south of India.
Look at the white planter. He comes, as you know, from our own country.

[Illustration: IN A CEYLON TEA PLANTATION.]

10. In the middle of Ceylon there are many high mountains. The highest
is called Adam's Peak. It stands like a great wedge high above the other
hills.

11. The people of Ceylon believe that it is a holy mountain. They say
that once upon a time Buddha climbed to the top of this mountain. To
prove that he did so they show you his footprint. It is more than five
feet long!

12. A little temple has been built over the footprint. Men, women, and
children climb the mountain, to lay little gifts before the footprint,
and to strew sweet flowers about it. When this is done, the children
kneel down and ask their parents to bless them.

13. To-morrow I leave Ceylon on a long voyage to China. You will not
hear from me for several weeks. I hope you are all well, and that you
are still good children.--I remain, your loving Father.

* * * * *

19. A LETTER FROM CHINA.

1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--Three weeks have gone by since I last wrote to
you. I have made my voyage safely, and I am now in a great city of China
called Canton.

2. Ask mother to show you China on the globe. You see at once that it is
a vast country. It is larger than the whole of Europe. One-fourth o