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JANUARY 14th. - The Festival of Thai Pongal has come round once more. It was kept by the coolies this year on the 12th and 13th inst. The Lines, being some distance from the bungalow, we were not disturbed by their festivities, although we heard distant tom-toms betokening that the revels were in full swing somewhere. The first day Rob spent playing golf on a neighbour's links, whilst I amused myself at home, taking care to confine my wanderings to the garden, lest perchance, if I went further afield I might meet some too ardent devotee of the Arrack Tavern, which to the annoyance of the planters on this group of Estates, is situated only about a mile away. The great idea of many of the coolies on these occasions is to get drunk, and every effort is made to prevent arrack being brought into the Lines. The second day we remained at home, and were visited in the afternoon by a party of dancers, one was dressed to represent the devil, his body was painted in green and white, and on his bead he wore a cap representing horns, and wings. The other dancer had a bow and arrow, with which to shoot the demon, who continually beckoned him away but evaded the arrow. At last after a good deal of bye-play, the bow and arrow were snatched away, and the owner of them shot dead, lying limp at full length on the ground. The devil then took him up with his teeth by his loin cloth, and lifted him some yards away, a veritable tour de force for the victim was a strong built young fellow. After this he suddenly revived, snatched the weapon from the devil, and drove him away vanquished. All the movements were accompanied by the deafening noise of tom-toms, so that we were quite glad when the time came when we could politely dismiss the party with the usual "santhosem."
No sooner had they departed, than another set appeared. This consisted of two families, who said they had brought their children to salaam to us, really an excuse for getting a little present for the children, who were a boy and girl of about the age of four and two years.