p SPOLTA ZEYLANICA. 



Mr. Hornell was of opinion that the wells (there are said to be 92) 

 were neither Portuguese nor Dutch, but prehistoric. 



There are no sponges to be found in Delft , but Mr. Hornell found 

 some good specimens at Iranaitivu. 



The varaku {Pasepalum scrobiculatum) , mondi {Andropogon 

 sorghum), and sami {Panicum miliaceum) fields are thriviiig. 



The Maniagar of Punarjm, who returned f rom' Iranaitivu with us, 

 informs me that the sand flies , which are chronic here , are due to the 

 quantity of dry cowdung lying about the seashore in the neighbour- 

 hood of the bungalow. There is an extraordinary quantity of it, 

 and no use of it for manure is made by the Delft cultivator, though 

 everywhere else in the Jaffna District it is carefully collected for 

 the purpose. The Delft man has an idea that DeKt cowdung is not 

 good for manure, but this is a mere excuse for laziness. Were it not 

 for the cost of transport it would be shipped to Jaffna, as the kavoti 

 plant {Psoralea corylifolia, Sin. hodi) is now shipped to Analaitivu 

 for the same purpose, and would be shipped to Jaffna were it not 

 for this reason. 



The Udaiyar informed me that snake bite at Kachchaitivu has no 

 ill-results, on account of the existence of the herb called pochchintil. 

 This is a super-excellent kind of chintil (a medicinal plant found in 

 Delft*, Tinospora cordifolia), but no one but a yogi can find it. 



Sea snakes are common at Iranaitivu, but, as everywhere else, 

 they are said to be so sluggish that they seldom bite any one, and 

 " it does not matter if they do, as you have only to drink salt water 

 three times and no harm will ensue," so an Iranaitivu fisherman 

 told me ; yet Sir Emerson Tennent says they are all deadly. 



Some catamarans were out yesterday in a very rough sea, and as 

 one started for Kayts I sent a letter by it. There are about twenty 

 catamarans on the island. 



The Delft man has a cap of his own different from those worn by 

 the Iranaitivu men, but made, Uke them, of palmyra leaves. It is 

 shaped like a n^itre , and is tied down under the ears and under the 

 chin. I procured a specimen for the St. Louis Exhibition. It is 

 called the talaivaraipaddai , or head basket.* 



■^Adverting to the Sarappiddi wells, the late Maniagar informs me 

 that they are said to be 92 in number, but Casie Chitty, in his 

 "Gazetteer," says that "the Dutch had about 400 dug through a body 

 of solid rock." His authority apparently is the "Colombo Journal." 



December 6. — The " Serendib " was sighted at 9 this morning 

 coming from Jaffna. It took me about two hours to get on board 

 by means of a Delft boat, owing to the strong current. The jetty 

 at Mavilturai, the port of Delft where I embarked, has been knocked 

 to pieces by the sea since I was here last. 



It turns out that the " Serendib " did come to a standstill. as we 

 supposed, and was unable to make a foot of progress against the 



* I have sent one to the Colombo Museum. 



