CINNAMON 223 



Long after the appearance of Europeans in Ceylon, cinnamon 

 was only found in the forests of the interior, where it was 

 (lit and brought away by the Chalias, an emigrant tribe 

 which, in consideration of its location in villages, was bound 

 to go into the woods to cut and deliver, at certain prices, a 

 <;iven quantity of cinnamon properly peeled and ready f^r 

 exportation. 



This system remained unchanged so long as Portugal was 

 master of the country, but the forests in which the spice was 

 found being exposed to constant incursions from the Kandyans, 

 who sought every opportunity to obstruct and harass the Chalias 

 and peelers, the Dutch were compelled to form enclosed planta- 

 tions of their own within range of their fortresses. The native 

 chieftains, fearful of losing the profits derived from the labour 

 of the Chalias, who were attached as serfs to their domains, and 

 whose work they let out to the Dutch, were at first extremely 

 opposed to this innovation, and endeavoured to persuade the 

 Hollanders that the cinnamon would degenerate as soon as it 

 was artificially planted. The withering of many of the young 

 trees seemed to justify the assertion, but on a closer examination 

 it was found that boiling water had been poured upon the roots. 

 A law was now passed declaring the wilful injury of a cinnamon 

 plant a crime punishable with death, and by this severity the 

 project was saved. 



The extent of the trade during the time of the Dutch may 

 be inferred from the fact, that the five principal cinnamon- 

 gardens around Nejombo, Colombo, Barberyn, Galle, and 

 Maduro were each from fifteen to twenty miles in circumference. 

 Although they were only first planted in the year 1770, yet 

 before 1796, when Colombo was taken by the English, their 

 annual produce amounted to more than 400,000 lbs. of cinna- 

 mon, as much as the demands of the market required. 



The profits must have been enormous, for cinnamon was then 

 at least ten times dearer than at present, the trade being ex- 

 clusively in the hands of the Dutch East Indian Company, which, 

 in order to keep up the price, restricted the production to a 

 certain quantity, and watched over its monopoly with the most 

 jealous tyranny. No one was allowed to plant cinnamon or to 

 peel it, and the selling or importing of a single stick was 

 pimished as a capital offence. 



