12 



RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON 



whom there are over 2,000,000, the other races being Tamils (of whom 

 there are nearly a million), Burghers, Eurasians, Moors, Malays, Vedahs 

 (aborigines), and so on. 



The island has an excellent government of the paternal sort, admin- 

 istered by a governor who is appointed by the King of Engand. He is 

 assisted by an executive council of five, but has power to overrule their 

 advice. There is also a legislative council of nine, including members of 

 the executive, together with eight unofficial appointed by the governor, 

 representing the mercantile and planting interests and the native com- 

 munities. 



CATAMARAN WITH SAIL., CEYLON. 



The island became a British possession in 1795. Prior to this the 

 Dutch, who had held it for 138 years, had 1 wrested it from the Portuguese, 

 who ruled it for 141 years. Interesting reminders of both of these 

 conquests are found in the high-sounding Portuguese names that many 

 of the Singalese bear, and in the Burgher types which remain quite 

 Dutch, both in name and appearance. Neither the Dutch nor the Portu- 

 guese had ever conquered the whole of the island, which was accom- 

 plished by the British in 1815. Since then there have been a few 

 rebellions, which, however, were easily suppressed. During the last one, 

 in 1848, some 2,000 up-country Singalese were put to flight by thirty 

 Malays who wore the British uniforms, a proof that the ancient warlike 

 spirit of the Kandyans is practically extinct. 



