The Pearl of India

Crossing the Indian Ocean toward Ceylon, Maturin M. Ballou watches luminous water, flying fish and seabirds before turning his attention to the island itself. His travel account, The Pearl of India, presents the place now called Sri Lanka through observations of tropical scenery, towns and institutions. In the preface, he weighs practical matters such as climate, transport and living costs alongside the interests of botanists and students of antiquity.

The discussion of Colombo brings British colonial government, free schools and a public library into view. Ballou also considers Christian missionary activity, recording local objections to the conflicting doctrines offered by different churches. His descriptions combine close attention to places with the broad judgments of a nineteenth-century visitor. Readers interested in historical travel writing can find both details of island life and evidence of the assumptions shaping an outsider's account.