Dans l'Inde (de Ceylan au Népal)

Arriving in Colombo on a breezy November morning of 1921, the narrator steps into a kaleidoscope of white‑corseted women, men shading themselves with umbrellas, and barefoot children darting among palm‑fringed streets. The sea‑edge hotel sways with the rustle of coconuts, while the market fills the air with spice and the clatter of rickshaws. A visit to a colonial college reveals a curious blend: a silk‑clad principal in traditional dress and his English wife in a violet sari, each embodying the meeting of two worlds.

The journey then heads northward through terraced rice paddies, towering teak forests and the occasional rumble of an elephant at a sawmill. In Kandy the modest Temple of the Tooth offers a quiet glimpse of Buddhist practice, prompting a witty scholar to scoff at the guide’s explanations. Boarding a coastal train, the travelers pass lively markets, jeweled jewelry stalls, and a lone brahmin waiting for curious visitors at a small station. Every stop reinforces the sense that Ceylon, while neighboring India, follows its own vivid rhythm of colour, sound and scent.