SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 211 



MOTES. 



1. Historic Trees. — The substance of this Note appeared in the 

 correspondence columns of the Ceylon Observer on December 

 29, 1905, and January 6, 1906. 



It is probably due to Sir James Emerson Tennent that an idea 

 prevails that Baldseus preached his first sermon in Ceylon under 

 the big tamarind tree which still flourishes at Point Pedro. 

 Tennent says : " Close by the beach there is still standing the 

 tamarind tree " commemorated by Baldseus, who preached under 

 its shade to the first Protestant converts in Ceylon (vol. IT., 

 p. 535). 



It is no doubt due to this passage in Tennent that Mr. J.J. Cotton , 

 M.C.S., in his " History of Monumental Inscriptions in the Madras 

 Presidency," recently published, refers to " the tree at Point Pedro 

 under which the celebrated Baldaeus preached his first discourse 

 to the natives." 



But Baldseus, though he certainly commemorates the tree by 

 recording that " just before the church stands a tall Tamarin 

 Tree," which affords *' a very agreeable shadow in the heat of the 

 day," says nothing about having preached under it himself, but 

 merely that "the people are often instructed by the Minister to 

 the number of 3,000 " under it (pp. 806-7). 



It is certainly not true that he preached his first sermon in 

 Ceylon at Point Pedro, for that he had done at Mannar on 24th 

 February, 1658, and it is recorded that in the same year, " in the 

 church at Telippalai, Baldaeus began the introduction of the 

 reformed religion into the Jaffna Peninsula." This being the case, 

 it seems hardly likely that he preached his first sermon to converts 

 at Point Pedro ; at any rate, there is nothing that I know of to 

 warrant the statement. Perhaps Mr. Donald Ferguson may be able 

 to throw a light on the subject. (See " Baldasus and his Book on 

 Ceylon," by Donald Ferguson, p. 6.) 



Tennent goes on to state that " this historical tree " was in his 

 day 42 feet in circumference at the base of the trunk. I have had 

 the tree measured at the base of the trunk ; it is now 31 feet. 

 This is doubtless explained by the fact that until 50 years ago the 



2 F 10-06 



