Notes and Queries.

The Dutch and Fresh Air.

The following is an excerpt from Mr. J. P. Lewis'
contribution to the local " Times " of the 24th August last
entitled " Ceylon in Early British Times " :—

It does not appear from her journal whether Mrs. Heber
had read Captain Percival's book on Ceylon, but the same
peculiarity about the Dutch houses of Colombo struck her
as had called for comment by Percival. He says: " Windows
in Colombo have glass panes unlike our other Indian
settlements, where Venetian blinds and shutters are chiefly
used. This proceeds probably from the peculiar customs
of the Dutch, who love, here as well as in Europe, to keep
their houses close-shut, both in the hot and cold seasons,
while we endeavour to have them as open as possible in
order to admit the air freely." Mrs. Heber says much the
same. "There are many Dutch houses, which may be
distinguished from the English by their glass windows
instead of Venetians, for the Dutch seem to shut up their
houses at all seasons; they have large verandahs to the
south." The same idiosyncrasies of Dutch and English
may be noticed to-day; the Dutch descendants share a
distrust of fresh air with the natives of the island. It is
rather amusing to see native gentlemen who keep their
palatial houses in the Cinnamon Gardens as far as possible
hermetically sealed against the mild or positively warm
breezes of Colombo, hurrying off with their families in the
"hot," or rather the hotter, weather to Nuwara Eliya or
Bandarawela, where, even with all doors and windows
closed and verandah shunned, existence must be purgatory
to them. No natives, not even the Kandyans, really like

04/09/00