From the diaries of Leonard Woolf
by Andrew Scott
The year 2004 marked the 100th anniversary of the arrival in Sri
Lanka of Leonard Woolf, who left an indelible mark in the social and
literary history of this country and this provides us the unique
opportunity to reflect on his life and times.
While his universally known book ‘The Village in the Jungle’ has been
and is still being avidly read by all those who know English and are
interested in English literature, his meticulously kept diaries are a
source of inspiration even today. This celebrated writer and renowned
colonial administrator of Sri Lanka has bequeathed to us a highly
appreciative legacy to us in the form of diaries.
Readers would be particularly interested to read the following
absorbing excerpts which have been selected from his diaries in Sri
Lanka during the period 1908-1911. when he served in the colonial
administrative service as a successful civil servant.
Inspecting a bakery at Hambantota on 11th Sept. 1908 he wrote:
“Inspected town with M.O. and Sanitary Inspector in the evening. A
peculiar characteristic of Ceylon towns (whether Kandy or Hambantota) is
that every baker builds his oven adjoining a cesspit or latrine.”
In another diary entry dated 21st Sept. 1908, writing about his
unpleasantness in forcing money from the very poor, he says: “The 25
rooms at the old police lines are leased out at Re. 1 per month to poor
persons. There are Rs. 150 in arrears. I went down there this morning to
try to settle things.
By putting on considerable pressure about Rs. 50 have been recovered,
but it is unpleasant work as the people are poor”. The following diary
entry shows the stern nature of the then officers.
“I have been obliged to report the Mudaliyar of East Girawa Pattu to
the G.A. and I have recommend that he be called upon to resign.... He
does not attend to papers or orders. I have warned him and then started
to accumulate cases against him which was not difficult.”
Wild elephant
In an entry dated 30th January 1909 he mentions about a wild elephant
fight and says: “Rode back to Yala in the morning. In the evening went
north through the jungle and came on two elephants fighting.
They charged one another and the shock appeared to be tremendous when
their heads met.
Then they stood with their heads close together playing a sort of
jujitsu with their trunks until at last one hit the other a tremendous
blow on the ribs with their trunk. Then they backed away from one
another and charged again.”
In a subsequent entry dated 19th November 1909 he gives a description
about ‘devil sickness’ and says: “I found the well-keeper obviously
unwell and asked him what was the matter. He said ‘Yak leda’ - devil
sickness. It appears that he went to look at the wells by night and in
the dark ran against what he thought was a devil but which turned out to
be an old woman. He has been ill ever since.”
Not only was Leonard Woolf a civil servant but also he had to do the
duties of a Police Magistrate and very often he had to conduct inquiries
when murders were reported to him. About one of these he has made the
following entry dated 7th January 1910.
In this he says: “News of murder at Ranakeliya. Rode out at once
about five miles in heavy rain and spent the whole morning inquiring...
The accused’s story is that he heard what he thought was a pig eating
his Indian corn at night and fired at the sound.... continued inquiry in
the afternoon.”
Diving women
In another very interesting entry dated 25th January 1910 he writes
about the diving women of Unahuruwa. This entry reads: “Rode with
Mudaliyar to Unahuruwa and saw a most interesting spectacle. The women
of this village swim out about 300 yards from the shore and they dive
down and fish up big coral stones.
They swim back with these stones and stack them in heaps called
‘fathoms’. They are sold for building purposes and for lime... The
divers told me that they never get fever which confirms my belief that
sea bathing helps to keep off malaria.”
..................................
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