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| Sunday, 5 May 2002 |
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Ceylon along the rail track Published by Visidunu Prakashakayo (Pvt) Ltd Reviewed by Carol Aloysius
Modern day visitors to Sri Lanka intent on 'discovering' and observing the natural charms of this scenic island and her people in the most convenient and comfortable manner, can choose from a number of conventional and unconventional transport option e.g. cycling, travelling by bus, or in a car or else by train, or even by plane or boat. The traveller in the late 18th century and beginning of the 20th century however was not so lucky. Then his options were limited to buggy carts, hackeries or horse carriages. This meant much of the country remained unexplored, except for a brave few who braved the elements and the wild animals that freely roamed the countryside, to unravel the hidden natural treasures of this country. These few mainly travelled on foot.
Travel within the country became both easy and comfortable. The traveller who wished to explore the country, now had the luxury of seeing a great deal of the island merely by sitting in a comfortable first class or second class carriage and allowing the train to take him wherever he wished. One of the most frequent users of this particular mode of travel was Henry W. Cave, to whom this island owes an enormous debt of gratitude for his pioneering efforts to capture the exquisite beauty of its virgin forests and unspoilt countryside, its ancient historical monuments, and the charming lifestyle of its people, at a time when life moved leisurely under a Colonial regime. One of his most enduring legacies to the country which he obviously loved and came to regard as a 'paradise on earth' was his book, "Ceylon Government Railway" first published in 1910 when the railway was still a novelty and the Northern line was not yet to be built. This fascinating book which was then and even today considered one of the best and most comprehensive travel guides ever written in Sri Lanka, has now been reprinted by Visidunu Prakashakayo, more than ninety years after it first made its appearance under a new title "Ceylon Along The Rail Track". Written from personal observations and hands-on experience, this is not a book that merely draws attention because of its pictures or the scenic wonders that the writer describes as they unfolded before his eyes, while travelling by train across the countryside. It is a social documentary on the life and customs of the people, their occupations, their mode of dress, the religious practices they observed and even the caste they belonged to. It also gives the reader a clear insight into the manner in which the government railway operated at its very inception, besides a detailed picture of the newly opened railway stations as well as the facilities they provided for the traveller.
It does not stop there. The book takes the reader further on, outside the stations to their immediate neighbourhood, the towns/villages in which they are located. The writer takes pains to chronicle in detail the physical appearance and facilities of the train station, its exact location, as well as the towns and villages where it was located, the mode of transport available for the traveller who wished to descend and engage in some sight seeing of the town or village, as well as the kind of hotels available to the traveller. Cave makes no bone about the fact that he is unashamedly biased towards travel by train. He notes in his introduction, "The railway affords an easy and even luxurious means of reaching the most attractive parts of the country. It renders easily and quickly accessible the most beautiful scenery, the more interesting antiquities and all and all those fields of agricultural industry - the tea, the coconuts and the rubber ...", he adds, "... no other country in the world can take you in spacious and comfortable railway carriages on a track of five feet six inches gauge over mountains at altitude of more than six thousand feet". This statement made by a traveller ninety two years ago, still holds true for most travellers to this island. Herein lies the significance of the book, which can serve as a useful guide to visiting some of the most picturesque and historical places in the island, even today. His book also reveals what the State Railway was like during its teething stages, the fares charged for passengers in the different classes, and the peculiar rules and regulations that passengers had to observe while travelling in a train. Cave's book is probably the first and only one of its kind to give us this in depth, detailed account of the State Railway and how it operated almost a century ago. What makes his book so relevant to the modern reader is that many of details, including even some of the rules and regulations have remained unchanged over the ninety year period since the emergence of the book. For example, the Ceylon Railway continues to flourish as a State owned non profit making organisation, today as it did then. Fascinating details emerge from these details. For example we learn that dogs and luggage were taboo in the Refreshment cars and that there were separate Ladies compartments, especially reserved for ladies travelling alone, while "Ayahs are only allowed in the sleeping car when the full compartment is paid for". Smoking too was only permitted" when passengers were not taking a meal and then only with the consent of all other passengers in the car". Cave's pioneering venture, reveals unknown and unexpected information and gives fresh insights and perspectives on individuals, events and situations. His ability to weave and interweave all this information into what he set out to be a travel guide for foreign visitors to Ceylon, is what makes his book so readable, and relevant to modern day readers as well. From his first description of the country as seen by the traveller approaching it by sea which reads like a piece of poetry; "We behold first the mountainous zones, ... arising in one mighty upheaval from the plains of Ceylon... and, as we approach nearer we see ... a scene of verdant loveliness which stands in welcome contrast to the parched barren shores we have left behind at Suez and Aden", he continues to rhapsodise on Ceylon's unique scenic beauty as he takes the traveller through the island via rail track. Of the coast line from Colombo to Matara, he says, "this seaside journey affords every facility for visiting the villages and towns of the south coast where Sinhalese life is pure and simple and can be seen to greater advantage than anywhere else in Ceylon." Of the (newly opened) Fort station he says, "It is used largely by clerks of the European firms and government offices who live in the suburbs and more distant towns and villages. It is also a most convenient starting point for passengers from the steamships at the GOH and Bristol Hotel who take trips to Mt Lavinia and other places further south". As the train meanders its way along the track to the suburbs he dwells on the inhabitants, their lifestyles and occupations of each little village or town where the station is located. For example after describing the Moratuwa rail station to the last detail including that it possesses a ladies room in addition to the usual waiting room, he describes what the town was like then. "Moratuwa with its adjoining village contains a population of 30,000 and is an exceedingly picturesque town. Its inhabitants apply themselves chiefly to one calling - carpentry. The visitor who wishes for a glimpse of native life pure and simple may obtain it here amidst the pleasant surroundings". Such descriptions abound in this book as the writer goes off the track to give visitors a close glimpse into the real Ceylon. His description of the local products of Moratuwa (the chief agricultural products are coconuts, cinnamon and betel") and the modes of transport available to the traveller "Horse carriages, buggy carts and hackeries" are typical of the kind of writing we see in his narrative. Nor does he limit his poetic descriptions to only travelling by train. He is equally lyrical in his description of the 50 mile boat trip one had to make from Kalutara to Ratnapura and vice versa due to the non availability of a track at this juncture; "The sail down from Ratnapura to Kalutara is a perfect rhapsody of delight, the shores are resplendent with colour and beauty of trees. Along the banks on either side wave the yellow stems and feathery leaves of the bamboos in one long dream of loveliness for the whole fifty miles of the journey". From the Coast line to the Northern line, from Polgahawela junction to KKS, his descriptions are infused with the same enthusiasm and eloquence aimed at wooing travellers into visit discovering Ceylon on rail. The photographs that illustrate the book give us a rare insight into the people and their mode of transport in a past era. The book has the added value of offering readers hard to find information such as a railway way map of Ceylon giving distances of stations and their elevations above sea level, a map of the Fort of Colombo in the early part of the 20th century, a map of the Kandy town, of Anuradhapura and of Ceylon. In addition it contains useful tips for travellers regarding currency values, charges for hiring boats, carriages, for baggage etc. For the sake of modern readers, the publishers have also incorporated an additional chapter on the writer himself. "Ceylon along the rail tracks" by Henry W. Cave is no doubt one of the most fascinating and useful travel books to be written on Ceylon. This book is now available in an attractive illustrated cover as a Collector's item in most bookshops at a nominal price of Rs. 900. |
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The opening up of railways however made a significant difference.
