Chap. III.] 



CINNAMON CULTURE. 



165 



although the general character has deteriorated, and 

 the price has proportionally dechned. Excellence has 

 ceased to be appreciated as of old ; the cheaper sub- 

 stitute is received with sufficient favour, and the an- 

 cient staple of Ceylon is threatened with the loss of 

 emolument, as it has akeady parted with its old re- 

 nown. ^ 



The adoption of Colombo, as the site for the Capital 

 and the seat of Government, is altogether anomalous. 

 The locality presents no single advantage to recommend 

 it. Compared with other parts of the island, the country 

 surrounding it is unproductive, the coast is low and un- 

 sheltered, and the port is less a harbour than a roadstead. 

 None but ho;ht native craft venture close to the wharves 

 and the fort, and ships waiting for cargo are forced to an- 

 chor in the offing where disasters have frequently occui'red 

 during the violence of the monsoons. 



It was the vicmity of the cinnamon country, and the 

 accidental residence of the Singhalese sovereign at Cotta, 

 that induced the Portuguese in the sixteenth century 

 to estabhsh themselves at this point, and the decision 

 becam.e irreversible when the Dutch had completed their 



* The export of cinnamon from 

 Ceylon in 1857 was nearly double 

 that of 1841, but tbe gi-oss value, in- 

 stead of bearing the same ratio, ex- 

 hibits a relative decrease oincarli/ me 

 third. One explanation of this is 

 referable to the fact of the shipment 

 of coarse cinnamon ia greatly in- 

 creased proportion to fine, and the 



consequent reduction of the average 

 price of the whole. Hence the phe- 

 nomenon, that whilst fine cinnamon 

 was formerly displaced by cassia, 

 cassia is being now driven out of the 

 market by the- coarser qualities and 

 reduced prices of cinnamon ! This 

 curious result will be discerned from 

 the followino' return : — 



M 3 



