“It is all our own work,” explains the Captain.  “Our men built the hut, and the materials only cost about Rs. 25!” Certainly this is the perfection of cheapness in the way of house building!  A little further inside the enclosure you come to more huts, in some of which the men live, while others serve for quarters for the native officers who assist in the superintendence of the Home, and to whose noble efforts so much of its success is due.  Then there is the kitchen, and a dining-room, and a stable for the bullock trap, in which the released prisoners are brought to the Home, to avoid the risk of a foot journey when their old associates might hinder them on the way.

The spare bits of ground are all laid out in little plots of garden, where plantains and vegetables are grown, and in front of the Captain’s quarters is a dainty little scrap of a flower garden.  The entire enclosure forms really a portion of the garden of a neighbouring house, the property of the late Mr. Ginger, who took a warm interest in our work, and leased the grounds to us at a nominal rent.

The following are the statistics of the work during the past year:—­

Total number of admissions, ..........................  230
Found Situations,  ...................................  115
Left, the Home and lost sight, of,  ..................  103
Total number of sentences of imprisonment,............  459
Number of juvenile convicts under 16 years of age, ...   40
Number of meals given,.............................. 15,774
Number of tea-boxes made,  .......................... 2,880
Profits on same,.................................   Rs.  350

The accompanying is the official report form sent in by us to Government every month showing the results of the work—­

JAIL GATE BRIGADE—­COLOMBO—­ITS RESULTS.

Prisons.

A.—­This Return for the preceding month shall be forwarded on 1st or 2nd of each month, by the Officer Commanding Salvation Army, through the Superintendent of the Convict Establishment to the Inspector General of Prisons, with columns 1, 6, 7, and 8, duly filled in.

B.—­The Superintendent Convict Establishment shall fill in columns 2, 3, 4, and 5, and send on the Return to the Inspector General.

1.  Name and age of Prisoner.

2.  Nationality and religion.

3.  Name of Offence.

4.  Length of imprisonment in months.

5.  General character in Jail.

6.  Number of days maintained by the Salvation Army

7.  How employed now, or going to be employed.

8.  Result of action of salvation Army on prisoner, roughly estimated.

Superintendent Convict Establishment.

Commdt.  Salvation Army, Colombo.

That the work of the Colombo Prisoners’ Home is highly appreciated in Colombo is further proved by the fact that most of the leading Government officials subscribe to its funds, including the Colonial Secretary, Sir E. Noel Walker, the Chief Justice Sir Bruce Burnside, and many others.  Again, it is not an uncommon thing for us to receive such letters as the following from the Magistrate:—­