Natural Vrodutlvms of the JJland of Ceylon. 165 



enable us to collect a great many fpecies ; and we (hall foon 

 be paid, with intereft, For our expcnfes and Sacrifices. Fiihery 

 is the agriculture of the waters : the fifties themfelves will be 

 at the trouble of fowing the Iced, and man will have nothing 

 to do but to collect the harveft. 



XXV t. Some Account of the natural Productions of the I/land 

 of Ceylon, particularly in the Environs of Columbo. By 

 a Gentleman now rejident on the JJland. 1800 *. 



JL HE grain and fruits which are common to the penin- 

 fula are found in Ceylon. 



Of rice there are four kinds, three of which are cultivated 

 on the mountains, and do not require continual inundation. 

 That this nutritious and wholefome article is not fuper- 

 abundant in the kingdom of Candy, arifes from the imper- 

 fections of its government. If its growth were properly en- 

 couraged, this country, inftead of having recourfe to Bengal 

 for fupphes, might be enabled to export large quantities of 

 this grain. 



The cocoa-trees are very numerous within the diftrift fub- 

 je6t to the Britifh government, and from whence the coafls 

 of Malabar and Coromandel are fupplied with fpirits di (tilled 

 from their fruit. In Candy this tree cannot be cultivated, 

 from the great number of elephants which inhabit the woods, 

 and are forbidden to be destroyed by order of the king. 



The areka-tree is ken in every part of the id and, and a 

 clandeltine trade is carried on with the Candian country, in 

 the nuts which it yields. Thefe, with fuch as are produced 

 in the part Subordinate to the Britim government, form a 

 considerable branch of commerce. 



This tree finds an enemy in the government of Candy, 

 which difcourages its cultivation ; but the foil is fo favourable 

 to its growth, that it may be faid to nourifh, in fpite of the 

 elephant that tramples on it, and man who neglects to pre- 

 fcrve it. 



The coffee which is produced here, approaches in flavour 

 to that of Moca. 



Though the quantity of fugar-cane planted at Calitura is 

 very fmall, and is only employed to procure fpirits, it is fuf- 

 ricient to prove that, if this neceflary article were encouraged, 

 it might be produced in fufticient quantities to fupply the w de- 

 mands of this ifland, and iuperfede the neceflity of importing 



* From the Aliatir /Innua! Rrgijler, 1S00. 



L3 it 



