1846.] THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 519 



Coffee. — This article is not cultivated by us, and all our lands are subject to the 

 visitation of frost, whichspeedily kills the tree. The cultivation of coffee is not extend, 

 ing in Java, but it is in Luconia and Sumatra. The coffee of Sumatra is not first rate, 

 from the bad preparation; that of Luconia is among the best. The cultivation of 

 coffee is very much extending just now in the Madras territory, on account of the 

 lowering of the duties in England, which is bringing it into consumption ; but 

 the quality is \ery poor, from the ignorance of the natives. 



But the greatest field which has been O|voned for t!ie cultivation of coffee for the 

 last ten yeai^i s undoiibtef'ly tlie fine fool moi tain lands of the island of Coylon. 

 Tlie Govrrn'nent, to induce the cuiliviition of tlie article, ir. 1839 sold the land in 

 fee simpi , with a good title, for five shillings sterling per acre It had previously 

 been tried in various localities and proved successful . Such was ihe demand for 

 these lands after 1841, that the Government afterwards raised the price to one 

 pound an acre, and finally to two pounds in 1844. 



No country ia better suited for the cultivation of coffee than the island of Cey. 

 Ion, as respects soil and climate. They have also great facilities in procuring la- 

 borers from the Malabar coast, at a cost of seven pence sterling per day. The 

 Government is safe ; but, like all other English colonies, very cxpoiisive. Ceylon 

 is one of the few colonies which pays its entire expenses, civil and military, 

 and is no burden to the mother country. 



There are not far from five or six hundred estates at the present time in the inte- 

 rior of Ceylon, having not far from three millions of pounds invested in the culti- 

 vation of this commodity. The quality is very superior, and 1 have seen it sold 

 in the island for a higher price than Mocha. The yield of the trees is also very 

 heavy, often producing six, seven, and eight pounds a tree, and always, in good 

 situations, an average of three pounds on the whole estate's crop. Eiglit hundred 

 trees are planted to the acre. The exportation to England in 1846 will be very 

 large, as most of the estates will be in full bearing by the end of the year. 



Many are the fortunes lucky individuals made in Ceylon during those years in 

 which we experienced such great commercial and financial difficulties in England 

 and America. The whole business has sprung up since 1837, and, generally, on 

 solid bases, being the investments of civil and military officers, and English and 

 Indian capitalists. The rage for lands is at present very great, and doubtless 

 the consequence will be an overproduction and great fall of prices. Those per- 

 sons who have estates in bearing now (for the tree comes into bearing in throe 

 years) are reaping harvests of gold, and the consequence is great prosperity in the 

 country and extravagance of living. I have seen a good many old West Indian* 

 who had come out on hearing from their friends the prospects of those engaged in 

 the business. But John Bull, with his horde of hungry officers, will soon lay the 

 stripes of taxation and monopoly on the backs of these lucky individuals. Soma 

 of the cautious old hands are even now, while the estates are yielding such hand- 

 soma profits, quietly eking out of the market, 



Ceylon offers also many openings for the cultivation of the cocoa nut and sugar- 

 cane; the first of which is a valuable product, and has been the staple of the 

 island from time immemorial. Yet the demand is vfiy great, and cocoa-nut lands 

 are worth, at the Government land sales, two pounds per acre. The tree comes 

 into bearing in seven years, and after the second year needs no further attention. 



A small number of men is sufficient to keep one hundred acres in order. The 

 cocoa imts are sold as they drop from the tree to the Mahomedan merchants 

 of the island, or broken, and the ki rnel taken out after it has boon exposed 

 to the sun for a few days, and sold to the English merchants, who have largo mills 

 in Columbo for making the oil for shipmout to India and England. It is used in 

 England for making candles, an'! in India for bu/ning, cooking, (fee. Arrack is 

 manufactured froin the spatlia ot the flower ucforT bursting, by tapping it and sus- 

 pending an earthen pot over nijilit at tlie incision. It is then fermented, and 

 afterwards distilled iii the small distilleries which lino Lao whole coast of Ceylon 

 for five hundred miles, for llie entire seashore of Ceyloii is bolted with these us'lil 

 trees. '1 ho fibrous covering of the nut is taken on for making " coir ropi'," which 

 is used throughout tho east in tho rigging of vessels and for every |)urposo for 

 which rope is wanted. It forms a largo article of export to li^ngland and India, 

 and is afibrdod at very low i)ricc8. The cocoa-nut tree is likewise used for making 

 canoes, liouses, and for various other purposes. The seams of their small schoon- 



