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tendency to rise in rugged towers sooty black, cumulus bosses here and there. Flying fishes very abundant in flocks of 30 or 40 at times, bright silvery skipping and glinting, fluttering from wave to wave a hundred yards or so at a flight. Curious effect of rather heavy showers on waves, drops each making a separate plash, bead-like drops in millinery rising a few inches in merry dance. December 4th Temperature 7:00 A.M. 79°, at 12 M. 80°. A dark, cloudy, showery morning, brisk wind from north. Ship heaving and rocking. White caps abundant. Rain reported at 3:00 A.M. Rain drizzle now 12 M. No poetry apparent about Ceylon’s Isle. Expect to get to anchor at Colombo at 6:00 P.M. December 5th So ashore at 8:00 A.M. with Mr. ____[Muir leaves the person’s name blank]. Hired guide 6 shillings and carriage 10 for the day. Rained hard last evening, fair now. Had good view of the town and adjacent region within 7 or 8 miles. The farther hotels on the shore have glorious views of sea and surf.. At Hotel Galle face, the coconut palm crowds the shore and extends a magnificent growth along the curving coast far as eye can reach - a true forest. This is all owned in comparatively small patches. The happy owners get crops which never fail and which require no cultivation. The tree bears at 7 years of age and every part is put to use. The trunks are nearly smooth instead of being rough and knogly with stub ends of the leaves like those of the Date palm. The leaves are nearly alike in both species. Those of Coco larger and the trees taller and bigger in general. The tuft of leaves forming crown is often like a wheel as seen against sky and the stems often crooked and tangled. This species form magnificent fringe
Date Original
November 1903
Source
Original journal dimensions: 11 x 16.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel29Journal12P28-29.tif
Publisher
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
Rights Management
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Keywords
John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist
