Diyatalawa Camp

The Boer in his tropic camp lost nothing of his strong religious bent and the worshipful spirit nurtured in his homeland. As a matter of fact their naturally austere religious character was considerably strengthened by the irksomeness of a captive life, by the weary monotony of awaiting release, and the constant thinking of home and friends.

Every night prayer-meetings were held in the open and a genuine chorus of praise rose in the evening air. Often during the day groups congregated in the shade singing Psalms, and sat listening to long sermons of which they never seemed to grow weary. Invariably too, the grim-looking, old, grey-beard, sitting apart silent and solitary, whom one passed with a poignant interest, held in his hand a time-worn, leather-bound book with heavy black text, which one easily recognized. Stolid and uncompromising in religion, as in ware, these silent, dramatic personnel seemed to be alive to nothing else but the inspiration and comfort which they were able to draw from the torn and well thumbed pages of their Bibles. Like most zealots, they did not scruple to look upon all amusements as sinful, or to resort to artifice for religions sake.

Source: Boere Krygsgevangenes in Ceylon