Cn.vr. v.] XIIJ..\n-:LLI. — SAl.T TANS. 495 



"black marrow of a tive, divested of its outer integu- 

 ments." 



Besides ebony and satin-wood, one of the most valu- 

 able of the trees in these forests is the iron-wood (the 

 Na-galui of tlie Singhalese^), the name being expressive 

 of its intense sohdity and duration. It is always planted 

 as an ornament near the temples, not only because of 

 the loveliness of its broad, violet-perfimied flowers, the 

 outer leaves of which are white and theii' centres a deep 

 maroon, but also because of the gracefulness of its shape, 

 the dark polished green of its foliage, and the brilhant 

 red of its young leaves and shoots, which in their season 

 suffuse the surface of the tree with crimson. 



The only high road in tlie direction we were now tra- 

 velling extended but four miles north of Trincomalie, 

 where it terminated at an unbridged inlet of the sea. 

 Having forded this on horseback, we entered the forest 

 on the op])osite side, by an uniinished bridle-patli, 

 which conducted us as far as Nillavelh, the great station 

 for the supply of salt to the eastern provinces. Here it 

 is collected from artificial pans, which are capable of 

 yielding, on an exigency, 50,000 bushels in the year ; 

 but they are never employed for the preparation of more 

 than half tliat quantity. The salt of Ceylon is of the 

 purest description, and the capabihties of the island for 

 its production are so great, that, in orchnary seasons, it 

 could satisfy the demand of the whole continent of 

 India. But the pohcy of the East India Company, and 

 the necessity of creating a revenue from their own 

 resources, has for the present sus])ended the ex])ort 

 from Ceylon, 



At Nillavelli the salt-}nins extend for about a mile in 

 length, and about one-sixteenth of a mile in breadth, 

 along the margin of a shallo^v estuary. They vary in 

 size, from foily to sixty feet square, with the dejith of 

 jibout twelve inches, and are formed simj)ly by levelling 



' ]\Ii-s.<ii<i fcrrcd. 



