164 COLOMBO. . [r.vRT VII. 



Kaderani and Morottu passed at once into private 

 hands. But so depressing was the prospect, that Ma- 

 randlian, from its vicinity to the capital, was felt to be 

 more profitable as a speculation for building villas than 

 for cultivating cinnamon. It was disposed of in lots ; 

 but not before neglect and decay had so depreciated 

 its value that the price for which it sold was almost 

 nominal. 



One only source of income from cinnamon still re- 

 mained in the hands of the Government — the one shil- 

 ling duty on its export. But even this, as it was equi- 

 valent to 100 per cent, on the value, became in a very 

 few years intolerable ; and such was the peril which 

 menaced the trade on my arrival in Ceylon, in 1845, 

 that one of my earhest acts was to recommend to Her 

 Majesty's Government an instant reduction of the tax, 

 preparatory to its early and total abolition^ — a measure 

 which was afterwards consummated by Viscount Tor- 

 rington. 



But, like every previous reform, in relation to this 

 ill-fated article, the rehef came too late to be effectual. 

 Had no export duty upon cinnamon been imposed when 

 the monopoly of the growth was surrendered, in 1833, 

 it may admit of a doubt whether Java would have 

 been enabled to compete with the produce of Ceylon ; 

 which, in fineness and quality, was unsui-passed ; but 

 the time for the trial was past ; the European con- 

 sumers had become satisfied with the cheaper substi- 

 tute of cassia, and Singhalese cinnamon could no longer 

 be cultivated with advantage as of old. Under these 

 circumstances, less care has been given of late years to 

 the production of the finest quahties for the European 

 market, and the coarser and less valuable shoots have 

 been cut and peeled in larger pro}:)ortion than formerly. 

 Hence the gross quantity exported has been increasing, 



' 8ir J. Emerson Tennext's Re- [ Cci/lon. Presented to Parliainont 

 port on the Finances and t'ommerce of \ 1848, pp. 70; 78. 



