54 2 MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 



may be attracted to the lands in the north-east of the 

 island and lead the way for their colonization. The 

 foundation for such colonization may be said to have 

 been laid by the opening- of railways to the north and 

 the north-west of the island to facilitate travel and 

 transport. So far, however, the vast jungle tract lying 

 between the Jaffna peninsula and Anuradhapura known 

 as the " Wanni " has hardly been touched. 



It must be admitted that there are elements which are 

 calculated to repel rather than attract the settler, e.g., 

 the want of a convenient water supply, the prevalence 

 of malaria and the presence of wild beasts; but these 

 difficulties must recede before the march of civilization 

 and science. 



It would be fortunate for the Colony if a financially 

 sound body of men led the way in a project for which 

 capital and enterprise backed up by experience of dry- 

 farming methods are the chief desiderata. It was 

 indeed adventure of this nature which brought about 

 the development of the great planting industries, first 

 coffee, then tea and lastly rubber in the wet hill country 

 which was at one time as inaccessible and difficult for 

 the colonist to live in as the jungles of the dry low 

 country. Once the pioneer succeeds in gaming a foot- 

 ing it may be expected that others will follow in his 

 wake, and the time hastened when our arid tracts will 

 support a thriving industry fostered by the " new 

 agriculture." 



