228 



GAMPOLA AXD THE COFFEE REGIONS. [Part VII. 



the king on the banks of the Mahawelli-ganga, and close 

 to his pahice at Hangiiran-ketti. 



So soon as Sir Edward Barnes had made such progress 

 with the great central liigh road as to open a commu- 

 nication with the liill country, it was obvious to his clear 

 and energetic mind that so grand a work would be a 

 reproach instead of a trophy, were its uses to be hmited 

 to mere mihtary exigencies, without conducing to the 

 material prosperity of the island. Hence, even before 

 its final completion, liis measures were taken to emulate 

 in Ceylon the industrial enterprise of India. The pre- 

 paration of indigo was attempted, but unsuccessfuUy, near 

 Veangodde ; that of sugar was encom'aged on the alluvial 

 lands of the interior ; and, taught by experience the inap- 

 titude of the lowlands for the profitable cidtivation of 

 coffee \ Sh- Edward formed the first upland plantation 

 about 1825, on his own estate at Gangaroowa, adjoining 

 the gardens of Peradenia. 



The moment was rendered propitious by a concur- 

 rence of favourable circumstances ; the use of coffee had 

 been largely increased in the United Kingdom by the 

 remission of one half the import duty in 1825, — a mea- 

 sure under the impetus of which the consumption nearly 

 doubled itself wdthin three years ^, and w^ent on aug- 

 menting till it outstripped the powers of production in 

 the West Lidies, and raised the value of coffee to such a 

 pitch that the produce of India and Ceylon came into 

 rapid demand at highly remunerative prices.^ 



Coupled with these fiscal facihties, another important 

 change w^as in progress, which vastly enlarged tlie 



^ The first attempts by Britisli 

 specidators to cultivate coffee in 

 Ceylon, were made on the banks of 

 the Gindnra, about sixteen miles 

 from Galle. The failure was so 

 signal, that the plants were taken up 

 to put down sug-ar cane, and these 

 in tuni made way for coco-nut palms. 

 — Lewis' Coffee rUmtiny in Ceylon. 

 Colombo, 1855, p. 5. 



^ Consumption of Coffee in the 

 United Eongdom, 



1824 7,903,040 lbs. 



1825 10,76(i,112 „ 



1826 12,724,139 „ 



1827 14,974,373 „ 



3 Porter's Progress of the Nation, 

 p. 373, 549. 



