D O C . 3 7 9 T R A V E L D I A R Y O C T O B E R 1 9 2 2 3 0 1 In the Arabian Gulf many sharks and flying fishes. Nothing of the kind was to be seen on the open sea, which is several thousands of meters deep. Little light pen- etrates to the sea floor, so weak plant growth at the bottom, scant fauna below, the less so above. During the night, ship’s siren. Thought it was an accident. But was just acoustic signals owing to intransparency of the air in heavy rainfall, in case of encounters with vessels. Temperature very tolerable, only inside the cabin very hot (between sunbathed wall of ship and a corridor bordering on the engine room. Often feel unwell Japanese doctor always helpful.[16] On the ship I was very frequently photographed, with and without people, mainly by Japanese. Yesterday I recalculated the electromagnetic equations in a vacuum according to Weyl’s geometry in hope of finding an expression for the current density. But a useless result comes out.[17] 28th. Yesterday evening we approached Honk Colombo with considerable delay. Before the coast came in sight we got caught in a severe tropical storm with a cloudburst, forcing the ship to stop. When it brightened up around 9 o’clock, it turned out that we were near the harbor. A pilot came up in a rowboat and we soon docked next to another Japanese steamship. We saw here for the first time an elderly Indian, fine, distinguished face with gray beard, who brought us two tele- grams and—entreated us for a tip. We saw other Indians as well, brown to black sinewy figures with expressive faces and bodies and humble demeanor. They look like nobles turned into beggars. Much pride and depressiveness are indescribably united there. This morning at 7 o’clock we went on land and together with the Du Plâtre cou- ple viewed the Hindu quarter of Colombo and a Buddhist temple.[18] We drove in individual little carts that were drawn on the double by herculean and yet fine peo- ple. I was very much ashamed of myself for being a part of such despicable treat- ment of human beings but couldn’t change anything. These beggars of majestic proportions descend in droves on any stranger until he has capitulated before them. They know how to entreat and to beg until one’s heart is wrung out. On the streets of the native quarter one can see how these fine people spend their primitive lives.[19] For all their fineness, they give the impression that the climate prevented them from thinking back or ahead by more than a quarter of an hour. They live in great filth and considerable stench down to the ground, do little, and need little. Simple economic cycle of life. Far too packed together to allow any special [p. 6] ∂ϕμν –g ∂xν ---------------------- - 0 = ϕμαϕα [p. 6v] [p. 7]
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