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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. IX. 



is yet grown to meet the demand of the resident population, 

 and consequently there is a market on the spot. 



In Batticaloa, on the other hand, an excess over local 

 requirements is produced even in unfavourable years, and 

 in 1883 over 350,000 bushels were exported to Jaffna coast- 

 wise, besides what was sent inland to Badulla and Bintenna, 

 of which no account can be obtained. As Jaffna ordinarily 

 absorbs an annual import of about 900,000 bushels of paddy, 

 there is still a considerable margin in this market so long 

 as Batticaloa can undersell Indian paddy, as it does now. 



Batticaloa is further favoured by possessing cheap trans- 

 port to this market, owing to the facilities offered by the 

 extensive backwaters, which are such prominent features on 

 this side of the Island ; and the fortunate circumstance that 

 both harvests fall within the period when communication 

 with Jaffna by sea is easy and rapid. A considerable 

 number of native vessels engage in the trade, especially 

 during the continuance of the South- West monsoon, and 

 paddy can consequently be transported from the threshing- 

 floors in the fields to any seaport market in the Jaffna 

 Peninsula for about 20 cents per bushel. 



A grower of paddy in Batticaloa can therefore, in my 

 opinion, put his paddy into the Jaffna market for about 

 50 cents a bushel, and secure a profit of about 75 cents a 

 bushel — possibly a little more. 



In Matara the extent of waste land is now very small, 

 and as there is considerable wealth in the District, fields in 

 favourable localities fetch fancy prices, running to as much 

 as Rs. 200 to Rs. 250 per acre. 



In Batticaloa the circumstances are very different, and the 

 supply of land is still in excess of the demand. For a limited 

 extent situate in a central locality, an alluvial well-watered 

 plain, known as the Karaivakuppallam, the value rivals, 

 if it does not exceed, that for the best lands in Matara ; but 

 the usual price for ordinary paddy land in cultivation is 

 Rs. 30 to Rs. 50 per acre, and at this rate a large proportion 

 of the fields could be purchased. Waste land in this District 

 can be procured at Rs. 10 per acre and survey fees, payable 

 in four annual instalments. As the Batticaloa lands when 

 sold are covered with jungle, after cutting out any timber 

 available, purchasers hand over the property for a couple of 



