40 
shell, is not unfreqnent!y contained in the 
body of the fish itself.” 
The stench occasioned by the putrid 
oysters corrupts the atmosphere for se- 
veral miles round Condatchy, and ren- 
ders the neighbourhood extremely un- 
pleasant till the monsoons and violent 
south-west winds set in and purify the 
air. 
_, But we have so much interesting mat- 
ter before us, that we must take our 
leave of the pearl fishery: nothing very 
particular occurs to detain us until we 
reach Columbo, except. the salt-works 
at Puttalon, which the Dutch pitched 
upon for the exclusive manufactory of 
that important article, with which by 
treaty it supplied the king of Candy’s 
dominions. Columbo is the capital of 
Ceylon, and the seat of government; it is 
strong by nature, and strengthened by 
art; its population is numerous, its situa- 
tion healthy, and the district depending 
on it extensive and fertile. When the Eng- 
lish arrived here, they found a rack and 
a wheel, with a. great variety of other 
implements of torture; these were in- 
stantly destroyed by the humanity of the 
British government. Columbo is one 
of the most popultus places in India ; 
there is no part of the world, says Mr. P. 
where so many different languages are 
spoken, or which contain such a mixture 
of nations, manners, and religions. The 
language in most general use here, both 
by Europeans and Asiatics, is the Portu- 
gueze of India, a base, corrupt dialect, 
altogether different from that spoken: 
in Portugal. . It is from this district that 
large quantities of cinnamon and pep- 
per; the staple spices of the island, are 
yearly transported to Europe, arrack is 
made in great quantities, and sent to our 
Indian settlements, as are a variety of 
other articles, the produce of the island, 
such-as betel-leaf, and areka-nut, cocoa- 
nut, caral, ivory, &c. A large quantity of 
coya-rope, or cordage, is also manufac. 
tured here, ‘and supplies are sent to our 
ships onthe Indianseas, Inreturn, rice 
is imported, calicoes, muslins, tin, cop- 
per, &c.; and a Portugueze or Chinese, 
ship. arrives-once a yeat from Macao 
with teas,. sugar, sweetmeats, hams, 
silks, velyets, mnankeens, umbrellas, 
styaw hats, all kinds of China-ware and 
toys, The country for several miles 
aroynd Columbo is extremely rich ; the 
groves ‘of cinnamon and cocoa-trees 
form a shade impenctrable to the fiercest 
sun, 2nd afford a refreshment to the tra. 
VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 
veller which no European can estimate 
who has not experienced it. ” 
Pursuing his course south of Colum- 
bo, Mr. P. conducts us to Puntura; to 
Caltura, where certain native manufac. 
tures are carried on to a considerable 
extent; to Point de Galle, whose har- 
bour we have already mentioned; and 
to Matura, the country around which 
abounds with elephants. It is here that 
they are principally caught for expor- 
tation ; every three or four years the ele- 
phant is hunted here by order of go-~ 
vernment. In the year 1797, at one of 
these hunts, a hundred and seventy-six 
were caught, the greatest number ever. 
remembered to have been taken at one 
time. From Matura, no European sets 
tlement occurs till we come to Batacolo, 
a distance of sixty miles, very much in. 
fested by wild beasts. . From Batacolo 
we proceed to Trincomalée, having now's 
under the guidance of Mr. Percival, 
who is a very instructive and entertains 
ing companion, completed a tour round 
the island. 
Before Mr. Percival enters upon a 
description of the interior parts of Cey-. 
lon, which are under a different sove,y 
reign, and inhabited by people of a dif- 
ferent appearance and customs from: 
those on the sea coast, he.gives an ace 
count of these latter. . Besides the na- 
tive Ceylonese, who live under the do- 
minion of the Europeans, and are dis, 
tinguished’by the name af. the Cinglese, 
the coasts are chiefly inhabited by 
Dutch, Portugueze, and Malays.. The 
Ceylonese Dutch are represented as lives 
ing almost vpon gin and the fumes of 
tobacco ;. inert, stupid, ceremonious, 
selfish, and so callous to the feelings of 
humanity, as to treat their poor slaves 
with cruelty upon the slightest- provos- 
cation, and often from mere caprice. 
It cannot escape notice, that we have. 
purposely omitted any account of the- 
military operations of the English; the~ 
fact is that we were fearful of extending 
the article to an unreasonable. length, 
The consequence of the omission has - 
been, that we have neglected the notice » 
of two additional traits in the character 
of the Ceylonese Dutch ; namely, cowar- ' 
dice, and treachery. ‘The ‘capture of 
Columbo was effected without resistance, 
and as the Dutch had every advantage 
of situation, knowledge of the country, 
and formidable works, nothing can con- 
vey a more strixing idea of the degraded 
state to which their military establish- 
