No. 12.— 1860-1.] CINNAMON. ?)73 



and it is generally believed that all the Cassia which is 

 exported from Malabar, Java, and even China, is the pro- 

 duce of trees cultivated in those countries within the last 

 half-century. Buchanan, in his "Account of Mysore," (vol. II. 

 p. 51'2, &'c.,) thinks the spice grown in the Continent to be 

 "without doubt the Lauras Cassia of Linnaeus." * Even 

 under the Portuguese Government, we learn from Ribeiro 

 (Lee's Translation, p. 141,) attempts were made to improve the 

 quality of the spice grown at Quilon, and in the forests of 

 Porca ; but none could be made to compete with that of 

 Ceylon in taste or in fragrance : and you will find that Lee 

 also quotes from Lord Bacon, to shew that half a century 

 earlier than Ribeiro, Cassia was used as a substitute for 

 Cinnamon, f 



It is not a little rt-markable that Colebrooke in his Amara 

 kasha, and Professor H. H. Wilson in his Sanskrit Dictionary, 

 give " woody Cassia " as the signification of the Sanskrit 

 terms " tivak-pattra, mutkatan, brungan, twachan, chochan, 

 vardngakan ;" which are synonymous terms. I observe 

 too, from your remarks to me, that the result of your 

 reading also tends to the same conclusion — that what the 

 Arabian and the Persian ships produced in ancient times on 

 their return from India, was Cassia and not Cinnamon. 

 These are considerations which lead me to believe, that I am 

 correct in representing Ceylon as the only country; which 



* In Avian's history of Alexander, although Cinnamon is mentioned 

 as "the produce of a shrub," yet of Cassia alone it is stated that it "grew 

 there" (in India)— vol. ii. p. 166. 



f " Nard and Cassia balmy smells." — Milton. 

 "Let balm and Cassia send their scent 

 From out thy maiden monument." — 



H errick's ' 'Dirge of Jephtha. " 



% " The Java Cinnamon is far superior to the Malabar both in quality 

 and appearance, but is not so handsome in the bale as that of Tellicherry, 

 which is always well packed and with clean joints, whilst that from Java 

 is mixed with many false packed canes and ragged joints, and has a 

 stronger drug flavour. Ceylon is superior in every point of view ( colour 

 excepted) to every other description of Cinnamon. It is perfect in its tine 

 aromatic flavour, in the thinness and regularity of its bark, the length 

 and cleanness of the joints in each cane, &c, &c. Java Cinnamon has 

 made the nearest approach to the qualifications of Ceylon Cinnamon, 



