13S JOURNAL R. A. S. CEYLON. [Vol. VII., Pt. IL 



I have searched for information on the subject of Sericulture, 

 or silk, in all the works relating to Ceylon that I could find 

 in the Library of this Society, and in the Colombo and 

 Colonial Medical Libraries. I have looked into Baldseus, Knox, 

 Valeatyn, Percival, Cordiner, Davy, Lee's translation of 

 Ribeyro, Marshall, Forbes, Knighton, Pridham, HofFrneister and 

 Tennent, but I have only been able to glean the following 

 scanty information on these subjects. 



In Yalentyn's History, published in 1663, there is the follow- 

 ing reference to Sericulture : — " In JafFnapatam experiments 

 are made to nourish the silk-worm, and obtain by it a source of 

 livelihood. Mulberry trees have been planted here and in 

 many other places, and they appear to thrive well. In January 

 and February the worms are transported from Jaffna, and 

 other small insects can be collected here. These are occupa- 

 tions which are interesting, and can be undertaken with little 

 pains and at small cost." 



I find from the Appendix to Lee's translation of Ribeyro's 

 History of Ceylon, that in March, 1 740, the Governor Baron 

 Yan Imhoff left the following memorandum on silk for the 

 information of his successor : — 



" Silk has not been so successful as we anticipated when we 

 began to grow it here." 



In 1849, Pridham mentions (Vol, I., p. 374) that "on account 

 of the dryness of the Northern Province, the culture of the 

 mulberry plant might be almost indefinitely extended by the 

 introduction of the silk-worm, and silk be rendered one of 

 its leading staples, instead of being, as is now the case, 

 completely neglected. The mode of culture practised in 

 Hindostan, as being the most simple, will be at first the best- 

 adapted for the native agriculturist, who has to acquire skill 

 and practice ere he can be expected to improve upon Oriental 

 methods. Much depends upon the abundance of cooly labour, 

 which may be further cheapened by employing children to 



