520 



ANNUAL REGISTER. 1817. 



entertaining an opinion that the 

 cinnamon produced in these plan- 

 tations might be cut, and exported 

 ia a contraband manner. In this 

 memoir the annual expense in- 

 curred on account of the cinna- 

 mon department is estimated at 

 pagodas 30,409 29 52. 



It does not appear that Governor 

 North's suggestions were much 

 attended to, or that liis recom- 

 mendations were adopted by the 

 governor in council. The cinna- 

 mon was permitted to remain in 

 the plantations which were re- 

 commended to be grubbed up, 

 and the Marandhan continued to 

 be cultivated, but with no extra- 

 ordinary care. The discordant 

 opinions of Governor North and 

 M. Jonville probably contributed 

 to prevent the immediate adoption 

 of any important measure. 



In September, 1800, we find 

 M. Jonville, in a memorial ad- 

 dressed to the Governor, strongly 

 recommending the rooting up of 

 all the cinnamon plants, not only 

 in the plantations of Ekele and 

 Morotto, but even in that of the 

 Marandhan, and suggesting the 

 propriety of cultivating the Kade- 

 rane plantation alone, which he 

 deems adequate to furnish the 

 usual annual investment. 



By the treaty of Amiens, con- 

 cluded in March, 1802, the Bata- 

 v-ian Republic ceded to his Britan- 

 nic Majesty all their possessions in 

 the island of Ceylon which be- 

 longed before the war to the 

 United Provinces. His Majesty's 

 ministers, deeming it prudent to 

 permit the company ta continue to 

 enjoy the monopoly of the Ceylon 

 cinnamon trade, entered into an 

 agreementwith thedirectors, which 



agreement 8tipulate<lUhat the Cey- 

 lon government should furnish to 

 the agent of the company, who was 

 to reside at Colombo, 400,0001b. 

 of cinnamon, or about 4,324 bales 

 of 92| lb. each ; for which they 

 engaged to pay at the rate of 3s. 

 sterling per lb. What cinnamon 

 happened to be collected beyond 

 this quantity was to be burned ; 

 and the company agreed that 

 whenever the cinnamon furnished 

 was disposed of at a higher rate 

 than to afford five per cent, profit, 

 after defraying all expenses, the 

 surphis was to be placed to the 

 credit of the Ceylon government. 

 The company was to be allowed 

 five per cent, upon the value of all 

 cinnamon sold by the Ceylon go- 

 vernment for the supply of the 

 markets in India, but none waa 

 to be disposed of in India at a rate 

 lower than 5*. per lb. This agree- 

 ment was concluded for the year 

 ) 802 j and I am not aware that 

 any very material alteration in the 

 terms of the contract has since 

 been adopted. 



The dispatch which announced 

 to the Ceylon government the 

 conclusion of this agreement re- 

 commended that the cinnamon 

 plantations should bt limited, so 

 as not to produce, one year with 

 another, a quantity larger than 

 that contracted for by the com- 

 mittee ; and should the island be 

 able to afford a surplus quantity, 

 the minister recommended that a 

 part of the cinnamon plantations 

 should be converted into cocoa- 

 nut gardens ; and where the soil 

 would permit, into rice grounds. 

 This recommendation appears to 

 have been made in consequence of 

 an erroneous opinion respecting 



the 



