401 



CEYLON. 



CEYLON. 



402 



enters the eastern part of Haute-Loire, and taking a northern direc- 

 tion passes, under the names of the mountains of Vivarais, Lyonuais, 

 Beaujolais, and Charolais, and with greatly diminished elevation 

 through the departments of Loire, Rh6ne, and Sa6ne-et-Loire, (in the 

 northern boundary of which it is separated by the Dheune from the 

 Cote-d'Or Mountains, which divide the feeders of the Seine from those 

 of the Sadne. Thus throughout their whole length the Cdveunes 

 Mountains form the watershed between the Atlantic and the Medi- 

 terranean. 



The CeYennes Mountains consist principally of granite ; but basalt, 

 lava-streams, extinct craters, and other evidences of volcanic action at 

 some remote period abound in the central and highest part of the chain 

 and its offshoots, especially in those that run eastward through the 

 department of Ardeche. [ABDCHE ; AVEYRON.] Gold dust is found 

 in the granite deposits after inundations to which most of the rivers 

 of the Upper CeVennes are subject. In some parts the rocks are 

 calcareous, and contain grottoes and caverns of great extent. In the 

 calcareous districts the disappearance of a river (locally called an 

 ' aven ') for one or two miles is not uncommon. Talc and clay-slate are 

 found in different parts of the chain, while towards the base con- 

 siderable beds of roofing-slate are found. The CeVennes afford abun- 

 dant pasture for large numbers of cattle and sheep, and in some parts 

 the higher summits are covered with forests of pine ; chestnuts also 

 are produced in immense quantities, and form an important article 

 of food and of commerce. On the lower slopes the vine and other 

 fruit-trees nourish. Game is abundant, and wolves are far from being 

 rare. Iron, lead, antimony, copper, coal, gypsum, and marble are met 

 with in various parts of the chain. 



The cultivation of the lower slopes of the CeVennes is carried on in 

 parts with great diligence, and places which would seem to be the 

 least suited to it have been rendered available by the careful industry 

 of the inhabitants. They raise across the ravines formed by the 

 mountain torrents a wall of loose stones, through which the waters 

 when clear pass readily ; but when after a storm or sudden shower 

 they bring down earth and stones, these walls act as a filter : the earth 

 and stones are deposited, and in time form a platform of good ground. 

 Successive platforms are raised one above another like a flight of steps. 

 On these platforms vines and mulberry trees are planted, and pota- 

 toes, maize, and other species of grain are produced. In other places 

 natural terraces are inclosed by walls of loose stones, and the basins 

 thus formed are filled with vegetable soil obtained from the cavities of 

 the mountain, or conveyed by the peasants from the foot of it upon 

 their backs. 



These mountains are mentioned by ancient authors, both Greek and 

 Latin. Ca:sar (' De Bel. GaL' vii. 8) calls them Cevenna; Pliny (iii. 4) 

 calls them Gehenna. Caesar crossed them in his contest with the 

 Arverni and their confederates under Vercingitorix. The presumed 

 difficulty of the passage had encouraged the Arverni, who deemed 

 themselves covered from attack by these mountains ns by a wall. 

 The passage was made early in the year, and Ctcsar bad to make a road 

 through snow six feet deep. Strabo gives to this range the name 

 of Kipptvov tpot, while Ptolemaeus uses the plural form, T& KfpL/jKva 

 6fm. The fastnesses of these mountains afforded refuge to the Hugue- 

 nots in the religious wars of France. In 1703 the Huguenots of these 

 mountains rose in arms and committed the most fearful excesses. 

 They had been driven into rebellion by persecution. The revolt was 

 of sufficient importance to justify the employment for its suppression 

 of Marshal de Villars, who however was soon recalled to more im- 

 portant service, and it was not till 1705 that the revolt was put down 

 by the Duke of Berwick. 



Ctrmnei was also the name given to the northern part of Languedoc 

 traversed by the highest part of the range. It included the districts 

 of QBVAUDAK, VIVARAIB, and VKLAT. 



CEYLON, an island lying between 5 54' and 6 50' N. lat., 

 79 50' and 82 10' E. long. It is separated on the north-west from 

 the continent of India by the Gulf of Manaar. Its extreme length is 

 about 270 miles from north to south, and its extreme breadth 145 

 miles : the circuit is about 850 miles. Its area is about 24,664 square 

 miles, or about 2000 square miles less than that of Ireland ; but no 

 accurate survey has been made. The population in 1843 was 

 1,442,062, of whom 8275 were whites, 1,413,456 coloured persons, 

 and 20,431 aliens and resident strangers. 



In Sanscrit writings Ceylon is called Lunka (holy or resplendent) ; 

 in the Singhalese annals it is called Sinha-la-dwipa (the island of 

 lions). The Arabs named it Serendib, which is only a corruption of 

 the genuine name ; and the Portuguese, Selan. It has been called 

 Hebenaro (the fertile island) ; Eelam (the insular kingdom) ; and 

 Tenesnerim (the place of delight). To the Greeks and Romans it 

 was known under the name of Taprobane, and Salice. (Ptolemseus.) 

 Being favourably situated at the western entrance of the Bay of 

 Bengal, and bounded on the south and east by the Indian Ocean, it is 

 admirably adapted for an entrepot of eastern commerce ; and though 

 at present but thinly peopled it promises to take rank among the 

 most important of the English possessions. 



Surface, JJydroyrapky, C'ommimicationt.The eastern shore of the 

 inland is in many parts bold and rocky, and the water deep. The 

 north-western and the western shore from Point Pedro to Colombo is 

 uniformly low, and indented with bays and inlets. On this coast 



OEOO. mv. vor,. it. 



about midway between Manaar and Colombo is the Gulf of Calpentyn, 

 on the west side of the peninsula forming which is the town of 

 Calpentyn, with the harbour of the same name. The south and 

 south-eastern shore is elevated, and presents a highly picturesque 

 appearance. At Trincomalee on the east coast, and Point de Galle on 

 the south-west, there are harbours capable of containing the largest 

 ships ; and tue roads of Colombo afford a secure anchorage at certain 

 seasons. In the harbour of Trincomalee all the navies of the 

 world might anchor, and be protected at any season. On the south- 

 eastern coast there are four ports in which small vessels may find 

 shelter, and five on the north-western coast. 



The north-western coast of Ceylon is almost joined to India by the 

 island of Manaar, ADAM'S BRIDGE, and the island of Rameserum. 

 There are only two passages* through the strait. One of these, called 

 the Manaar Passage, which separates the island of Manaar from the 

 opposite coast of Ceylon, near Mantotte, was formerly not above four 

 feet deep at high water. The other, called the Paumbeen Passage, 

 separates the island of Rameserum, celebrated throughout India for 

 its pagoda, from the opposite coast of India, near Tonitorre" Point. 

 This passage is very narrow, and was once only six feet deep at high 

 water. Both the passages have been deepened and widened. 



The physical structure of the interior of Ceylon is but imperfectly 

 known. Its mountain ranges do not in general approach nearer to 

 the sea than 40 miles, leaving the island nearly surrounded by a rich 

 belt of alluvial earth, well watered by numerous rivers and streams. 

 The great mass of the high land is in the southern and wider part of 

 the island, the central parts of this mountain region being intersected 

 by the seventh parallel of N. lat. Numerous offsets from this nucleus 

 are detached towards the south, south-eastern, and south-western 

 coast, forming the boundaries between valleys which are drained by 

 rivers rising in the central mass, and running south, south-east, and 

 south-west. This part of the island contains Adam's Peak (7420 feet 

 high), which was supposed to be the highest mountain in the island. 

 But the most elevated point is now ascertained to be Pedrotallagalla, 

 near the European statiou of Newerra Ellia, which is 8280 feet above 

 the sea, and is surrounded by a tract of elevated country of very 

 irregular surface, and well adapted for almost all the productions of 

 temperate countries. This table-land is generally from 2000 to 3000 

 feet above the sea. From the central mass in the territory of Kandy, 

 a range of high land runs northward nearly as far as 9 N. lat., 

 forming the western boundary of the basin of the Mahavelli Ganga 

 (the chief river of the island), and separating the waters which flow 

 into this river, or towards the east coast, from those which run west- 

 ward into the Gulf of Manaar. This range is very little known. The 

 interior mountainous district contains numerous beautiful valleys, 

 and prodigious forests. The northern parts of the island are 

 generally flat. 



The island abounds with mountain streams and rivers. The rivers 

 are more numerous on the south and south-west than on the north- 

 east side. Those which flow through the districts on the east and 

 north formerly filled the numerous but now ruinous tanks which 

 once rendered those districts the most fertile and populous in the 

 island. The principal rivers are the Mahavelli Ganga (the Ganges of 

 Ptolemseus), the Kalani Gauga, the Kalu Ganga, and the Walawe 

 Ganga, all of which rise in the central mountain region. They are 

 navigable only for boats and rafts. The Mahavelli Ganga, after 

 descending from the mountains, and traversing the valley of Kotmale 

 under the name of Kotmale Ganga, is joined near Passbage by a 

 smaller branch issuing from the base of Adam's Peak. It then passes* 

 through the village of Peradenya, four miles from Kandy, where it is 

 crossed by a modern bridge of one arch, 205 feet in span, constructed 

 of satin-wood. Between Kandy and Bintenne the river descends 

 above 1000 feet, and receives in this part of its course numerous 

 streams. At Bintenne, at the foot of the mountains, its average 

 breadth is 340 feet, and its depth at the ford 5 feet ; in the dry 

 season 1 or 2 feet, and during freshes 25 or 30 feet. After a slow 

 northern course through the country of Binteune it separates into 

 two branches : the smaller, the Verge! Ganga, enters the sea 25 miles 

 south from Trincomalee ; the larger, retaining the name of Mahavelli 

 Ganga, 'alls into the great Bay of Trincomalee. It flows through a 

 country once the granary of the island, as indicated by the numerous 

 remains of works of art for the irrigation of the land, which, now 

 fallen into decay, serve only to form pestilential morasses. Its whole 

 course is near 200 miles, and it might be rendered navigable for at 

 least 80 miles. The Kalani Ganga runs a westerly course to Colombo, 

 and is the medium for much internal traffic thence to Ruanwelle, a 

 distance of 50 miles. The Kalu Ganga takes a western direction, 

 and after passing through the districts of Saffragam and Three Korles 

 enters the sea at Caltura. It is navigable a little above Ratnapoora. 

 The Walatce Ganga has a south-eastern course to the sea, 8 miles to 

 the north of Hambantotte. 



In the highlands are several lakes which afford abundant supplies 

 of fish, and are of use for irrigating the rice lands. The flatness of 

 the districts bordering on the sea-coast has occasioned the formation 

 of extensive salt-water lakes or lagunes, which are connected by canals 

 having stupendous embankments, constructed by the Singhalese three 

 centuries before the Christian era. These works greatly facilitate the 

 intercourse between the maritime province*. Small vessels from 



2 D 



