the District of Noowerakalaiviya. 157 



After the ground has been cleared of jungle 3 a line is stretched 

 down its length, then measuring from the bank, marks are 

 put in, say at every ten fathoms, and each portion is given to a 

 villager. If the soil varies greatly in the upper and lower parts 

 of the field, or if one of these be for any reason preferable to 

 the other, then each villager (shareholder or partner is the 

 common term) will get one share in the upper and one in the 

 lower part of the field. 



To the Gameraies a double portion is given, in considera- 

 tion of their superior position as village elders. It is to be 

 observed, that every shareholder has a right to all the land 

 enclosed within lines running across the field and passing 

 through the two stakes on the centre line which originally 

 marked out his portion ; that is, each man, commencing 

 within his own portion at the centre line, may clear to the 

 right and left till he reaches the high grounds which enclose 

 the field ; but quarrels would instantly arise if he were to 

 clear either up or down, as it were round the share of another. 

 So soon as a share is allotted to a man, no matter whether he 

 clears much or little, he comes under certain obligations ; he 

 must give one share of work to all repairs of the tank, and 

 to the watching of the fields by night, and to the construction 

 and up-keep of a ring fence. The original division is never 

 lost sight of ; thus, if two shares, even though they be con- 

 tiguous, fall into the possession of one man, he will never 

 talk of having " one large share," but of having " two shares,' 7 

 and will give two shares' work to watching, fencing, and 

 repairing of the tank ; so it is also with half or quarter shares. 



The first and last shares, those at which the channel from 

 the tank enters and leaves the field, are generally less pro- 

 ductive than others. For this reason, and also because there 

 is a larger quantity of fencing there, these shares, called the 

 sehelle and pahalle ell epott lies (shares at the upper and lower 

 water-courses) respectively, are invariably larger than the rest, 



