like otters, and shillings and
sixpences cast into the water they brought up from the bottom, catching
it in many instances before it had found a resting place on the sands.
"Frow it," they would shout, and scarcely had the shining piece of
silver struck the water before they were after it, disappearing from
sight and then coming up with the coveted coin secure in their
possession. The decks were soon swarming with hotel runners,
moneychangers, and tradesmen of various sorts. As yet we were uncertain
as to our destination, and depending upon word that was to have been
left here by our advance agent, Will Lynch.

A drenching rain was falling when Messrs. Spalding and Leigh Lynch went
ashore in search of news, and when Mr. Spalding came back an hour later
he had heard nothing but had arranged for the accommodation of the party
at the Grand Oriental Hotel, and we were soon on our way to the landing
place in steam launches provided for the purpose, still uncertain,
however, as to whether we were to go on in the "Salier" or not.

CHAPTER XXVI. FROM CEYLON TO EGYPT.

We landed in Colombo on the steps of a pagoda-like structure containing
the Custom House, and passing through found ourselves on a broad avenue
that led direct to the Grand Oriental Hotel, said by travelers to be the
finest south of the Mediterranean, and in their opinion I can certainly
concur, as we found it to be everything that could be desired so far as
our limited experience went. The rooms were large and carpetless, with
latticed windows and high ceilings and the immense dining-rooms opened
on broad stone porticos with massive columns and surrounding galleries,
on which were Turkish divans for the comfort of the guests. The
dark-skinned native servants, with their picturesque, flowing garments
and tortoise-shell combs, gave to the whole an oriental air that up to
that time we had read about but never seen. We were fanned by great
swinging punkas during the dinner hour, the meal being an excellent one,
after which we went out to see the town, the Indian shops under the
hotel coming in that night for the largest share of our attention. First,
because they were easy to reach, and, second, because of the really
handsome stock of articles of Indian manufacture that they contained.
Carvings in ebony and ivory, in the most beautiful designs, inlaid work
of all descriptions, shawls that a queen might envy, together with
embroidered articles of rare beauty,