Chap. II.] 



DUTCH TRADE. 



51 



The kings of Cotta, in order to procure supplies of a.d. 

 cinnamon for the Portuguese, had organised the great ^^^^^• 

 estabhshment of the Mahahadde^ under which the tribe 

 of Chahas were bound, in consideration of their location 

 in villages, and the protection of their lands, to go into 

 the forest to cut and deliver at certain prices a given 

 quantity of cinnamon, properly peeled and ready for 

 exportation.' This system remained unaltered so long 

 as Portugal was master of the country ; and the Dutch, 

 on obtaining possession of the ports, not only continued 

 the collection in the hills by special permission of the 

 Emperor of Kandy, but sought earnestly to encourage 

 tlie growth of the spice in the lowlands surrounding 

 their fortresses from Matura to Chilaw. In the latter 

 chstrict especially, the quality proved to be so fine, tliat 

 in 1663, the cinnamon of Negombo was esteemed " the 

 very best in the universe^ as well as the most abundant."'^ 

 But the woods in which it was found were exposed to 

 perpetual incursions from the Kandyans, and the obstruc- 

 tion of the Chalias and peelers was a favomite device of 

 the emperors to annoy and harass the Dutch. Hence 

 the cost of maintaining an army to guard the cinnamon 

 country was so great as to render it doubtfid whether 

 the trade so conducted was worth the expense of its 

 protection. Towards the close 'of their career, the 

 company were compelled to form enclosed plantations 

 of their own, within range of their fortresses ; and here, 

 so jealous and despotic was their pohcy, that the peeling 



and foreign ships were allowed to 

 import rice and a few other imini- 

 piirtiint articles. 



* The term Ilahihaddc, ''the 

 fiTcat trade or industry," which was 

 first applied in the time of the Portii- 

 fj-iiese, IS expressive of the high value 

 which they attached to the ohject. 

 The " Captain of the Mahahaihle,'"' 

 a title invented hy them, was origi- 

 nally a high caste Headman placed 

 over the whole department, the 



officers and component body of 

 which were low caste. The code of 

 instructions mider which the whole 

 was managed in the time of the 

 Dutch, will be foimd in "\'.\lkntyx, 

 ch. XV. p. 31G. 



^ " iVlwaar de allerbcste cancel 

 pToeid van den geheelen bekenden 

 aardbodem ; oolc en zeer gToote quiin- 

 titeit." — Memoir of Van Crocus. 

 Valentyn, ch. xiii. p. 100. 



E 2 



