Travel by sea, river and road; all for the master
View(s):Pictorial Impressions of Early Colonial Sri Lanka – Travel and Transportation is the third in a series of six volumes on the subject of Colonial Sri Lanka.
The first two volumes describing People and their Dress and People’s Customs have already been published. The fourth volume, on Religions and Rituals will follow this book.
It is interesting that the co-authors, Dr. Rajpal de Silva and Mr. Gooneratne, who have undertaken this research into modes of early travel and transportation in Sri Lanka, have their chosen disciplines in the medical and legal fields, respectively.
De Silva is a physician who has experience of nearly three decades of practice as a Hospital Practitioner and Paediatrician with the National Health Service in England.
He also boasts an adventurous spirit, having travelled overland by car from London to Colombo. He has always had an abiding interest in Sri Lankan history and antiquarian art, prints, engravings and watercolours, and is a professional restorer of the most valuable works of Sri Lanka art.
A list of his previous publications is included in the book. Gooneratne is a Barrister-at-Law and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, where he has been practising for the past 50 years.
He has also dabbled in local politics, serving as a Provincial Councillor and Leader of the House for the Western Province during the period 1993 – 1996.
He was recently honoured by the Bar Association of Panadura with the unveiling of his portrait to celebrate 50 years of practice in the Panadura Courts.
This description of Sri Lankan history of travel by sea, river and road, from the days of the sedan chair and palanquin, the pack horse and the bullock-wagon, jinrickshas (rickshaws) and bicycles, the catamaran and the outrigger right up to the modern locomotive and the steamship, provides a keen insight into the evolution of not only the modes of Sri Lankan travel, but also the network of bridges built to span the island’s many waterways; and the rest areas provided for the convenience of the traveller during long periods of travel, like the ambalamas and rest houses.
There is an amusing description of Einstein and his wife, Elsa, on a visit to Colombo, “enjoying” a ride in rickshaws. A note in Einstein’s diary reads: “We rode on small, one-man carriages drawn at a trot by men of Herculean strength, yet of delicate build.
I was bitterly ashamed to be a party to the abominable treatment accorded to fellow human beings, but the circumstances did not permit me to avoiding it.” His more practical wife had remarked, “For these men to earn a living, they need our patronage.”
By 1925, Ceylon Government Railway (CGR) boasted an intricate system of railways, with total routes of nearly 1,000 miles. Travel by the CGR was said to be most comfortable, especially on first-class mountain lines, and the rolling-stock well maintained.
As with all colonial development, however, the railway served British interests, in the transportation of produce from the plantations to the Colombo Port, and paid scant respect to the needs of the native traveller.
The evolution of transportation by sea and river, from the rafts, padda boats, catamarans and outriggers to the sailing ships is also described.
Also included are images and descriptions of the craft used by the fishing community in the plying of their trade, both by sea and river, and the often draconian laws, levies and taxes imposed by the colonial masters, which made the life of the native fishermen both arduous and hazardous.
The Dutch built a system of canals in the maritime areas along the western and south-western coast, which facilitated steamer travel between Colombo and Negombo. These have now been rendered defunct, with the improvement of the roads in these areas.
The images, taken from the Illustrated London News, of various members of the British Royal family landing in and leaving Colombo harbour, reveal the pomp and pageantry which were the hallmarks of British colonialism.
The watercolours, mainly of sailing boats in Trincomalee, mostly by J. Noakes, are spectacular. In fact, all the pictorial images included in the book are tastefully chosen and comprehensive, and provide an invaluable and complementary insight to the narrative.
The book will be launched (along with its companion volume Religions and Rituals) on November 19 at the Dutch Burgher Union Hall in Colombo.
| Book facts Pictorial Impressions of Early Colonial Sri Lanka – Travel and Transportation by Rajpal de Silva and Ranjan Gooneratne. Serendib Publications, London. 2015. 213 pages, including images – maps, drawings, sketches, watercolours. ISBN 978-955-0810-03-1. Reviewed by Vijaya Chandrasoma |