186 CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



Profits and Gains 



The third source of local revenue arose from profits on a 

 few articles of produce such as Cinnamon, Betel -nut, Coir, 

 Cloths &c. and these were chiefly in the Colombo and Galie 

 Collectorates. The articles in which the Government traded 

 were all monopolized ; that is they were received from the Na- 

 tive Cultivators or Collectors at low fixed rates, and resold at 

 other fixed rates. Betel-nut appears to have yielded the highest 

 profit varying between £1000 and £1800. Cloths left but a 

 small gain to the Treasury, seldom exceeding a few hundred 

 pounds. There were however some large profits realized on 

 sundry articles of European merchandize : these added to the 

 gains on Coir, Timber &c. yielded as much as £6000 or £7000. 

 In the year 1791-2, the profits made within the Colony 

 stood thus. 



Colombo and Calpentyn £5874 3 2 



Jaffnapatam and Manaar 625 6 



Galle and Matura 1525 17 2 



Trincomalie and Batticaloa 1162 13 2 



£9187 19 6 



Having thus enumerated the various sources from which the 

 Dutch Government derived its income, I will now shew by the 

 following Table, the total amounts of Income and Expenditure in 

 the Colony during six years ending 1791-2. 



Table C. 



Abut, of the. Col. In- 

 come and Ex-pen. du- 

 ring the six years 

 ending J 791 -2 



Expenditure. 



Revenue. 



Excess of 

 Expenditure 



In the years 



1787- 8 



1788- 9 



1789- 90 



1790- 1 



£.. 



58066 10 

 63534 16 

 68952 9 

 57716 17 

 63461 6 

 72006 18 



30066 4 

 31147 2 

 31504 4 

 35934 I 

 37099 19 

 36158 2 



28000 6 

 32387 14 

 37448 5 

 23782 16 

 26361 7 

 35848 16 



383738 16 



199909 12 



183829 4 



