528 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



eclly the most avowable means of 

 acquiring or preserving a mono- 

 poly of an article of commerce is 

 to furnish it in abundance, at a 

 comparatively cheap rate. The 

 exportation of the third quality of 

 cinnamon vvoukl very considerably 

 contribute to this desirable end. 

 Great part of the sinall quantity 

 which luis been exported has found 

 its way into Europe and America 

 under the denomination of casia. 

 The duty levied upon that which 

 has in trade been styled casia, 

 should be the same as is levied 

 upon cinnamon ; or the duty upon 

 the third quality of cinnamon 

 should be reduced to tliat which 

 is paid upon the importation of 

 the casia of commerce. The ex- 

 portation of cinnamon of this 

 quality to England would at any 

 time have been of importance to 

 the trade of Ceylon ; but in con- 

 sequence of the recent entire sub- 

 jugation of the interior of the 

 islands, this measure becomes of 

 infinitely greater consequence. By 

 the fortunate termination of the 

 Kandian war, the sources and 

 opportunities for collecting and 

 preparing cinnamon are greatly 

 increased. The enlarged quantity 

 procurable will, however, be chiefly 

 of the third sort ; and without 

 some means be adopted for col- 

 lecting and exporting this quality 

 of cinnamon, it will appear like 

 neglecting one of the many ad- 

 vantages which promise to follow 

 this very important acquisition. 

 With the exception of the narrow 

 indented valleys which intersect 

 the hill-i and mountains, great 

 part of the interior of Ceylon is 

 covere.l with lofty trees and low- 

 brushwood in the most luxuriant 

 degree of \'egetation. The most 



rugged and difficultly accessible 

 mountains and situations abound 

 more with large trees than those 

 hills or eminences whose declivity 

 is more gradual, and whose sur- 

 face is more even. This arises 

 chiefly from the chena or dry grain 

 cultivation, which is much prac- 

 tised upon the most accessible of 

 the hills in the interior. Chenat 

 are cultivated by cutting down a 

 number of the large trees and all 

 the brushwood upon the declivity 

 or top of a hill. The trunks and 

 branches of the large trees and the 

 shrubby bushes are burned, and 

 the ashes spread upon the ground, 

 which is eventually sown with 

 dry grain. The roots of the trees 

 and bushes are allowed to remain. 

 One crop only is reaped. The 

 spot of partially cleared ground 

 becomes in a few years covered 

 with underwood and young trees. 

 The space of from 1.5 to 20 years 

 elapses generally before the ground 

 is again cleared, and another crop 

 sown. This statement will readily 

 account for a circumstance con- 

 firmed by the chalias, that on the 

 rugged and difficultly accessible 

 hills large cinnamon trees, which 

 afford cinnamon of coarse quality, 

 are found, and that cinnamon 

 plants of an age well adapted for 

 yielding fine cinnamon are obtain- 

 ed upon the recently cultivated 

 chenas. These patches of high 

 around cultivation form, however, 

 but a small proportion, when com- 

 pared to the uncultivated and un- 

 cultiv^able, rugged, and precipitous 

 mountains, with which the interior 

 of the island abounds. It may 

 likewise be mentioned that the 

 cinnamon plant is less hardy than 

 many of those which grow in the 

 same jungle with it ; and that 



when 



