It’s during the entrance of Leila, the young priestess charged with protecting her Ceylonese fishing community from the perils of the sea.

The Kandyans, Ceylonese Highlanders, who dwell in the mountains, are a more creditable race, sturdy and manly.

After independence in 1948, while successive political dynasties embraced socialism, nationalism and the dog-eat-dog-ism, the Ceylonese were treated to international cricket legends in transit.