Chap. III.] CINNAMOX. 163 



The trade in its products was at its height^ when 

 Esenbach wrote ; but opinion was ah'eady arraying itself 

 against the rigidly exclusive system under whicli it was 

 conducted. This was looked on as the more unjustifiable, 

 owing to the popular behef that the monopoly was one 

 created by nature ; and that prohibitions became vexa- 

 tious where competition was impossible. Accordingly, 

 in 1832, the odious monopoly was abandoned ; the Go- 

 vernment ceased to be the sole exporters of cinnamon, 

 and thenceforward the merchants of Colombo and Galle 

 were permitted to take a share in the trade, on payinn- 

 to the crown an export duty of tliree shillings a pound, 

 which was afterwards reduced to one. But the revolu- 

 tion came too late to benefit those for whose advanta^-e 

 it was designed. The delusion of a "natural monopoly" 

 of the spice was demonstrated by the fact, that not alone 

 India, Java, and China, but also Guiana, Martinique, 

 and Mauritius were found capable of producing it ; and 

 such was the stimulus to rivahy engendered by exor- 

 bitant prices, that supplies from these quarters were, 

 akeady supplanting the cinnamon of Ceylon in the mar- 

 kets of the world. Cassia, a still more formidable com- 

 jTctitor, was arriving in Europe in large quantities ; and 

 thus the great experiment of free trade in this precious 

 article led at first to disappointment and loss ; the prices 

 undergoing a dechne as the quantity exported was sud- 

 denly increased. 



The adoption of the first step inevitably necessitated 

 a second. The merchants felt, and with justice, that 

 the struggle was unequal so long as the Government, 

 with its great estates and large capital, was their op- 

 posing competitor ; and hence, in 1840, the final ex- 

 pedient was adopted by the crown of divesting itself 

 altogether of its property in the plantations. Tlie 

 cinnamon gardens were offered for sale ; and Ekellc 



^ The extent of the trade may be 

 inferred from the fact, that the five 

 ])rini'ipal cinnaiuun gardens around 



Neg-onibo, Colombo, Barberm, Galle, 

 and Matura, were each from fifteen 

 to twentv miles in circinnferenee. 



M 2 



