208 



JOURNAL, Il.A.S. ( CEYLON). 



[Vol. IX. 



in this Province until 1872, when Rs. 60 were received; in 

 1873, Rs. 1,966; in 1874, Rs. 210. There the record ends, and 

 it rather looks as if the money had been received for lands 

 sold, for I have it on good authority that all the mines now 

 worked in the Kurunegala district are on private property ; 

 my informant, Gate Mudaliyar Jayatilleke, adds in reply to 

 my queries as to whether there was anything hereditary, 

 or a system of payment by shares amongst the mining 

 class :— 



" All the plumbago quarries that are now worked in the district 

 are purchased from the Crown. No licenses have ever been 

 applied for or granted to dig plumbago. The diggers are paid 

 wages, and they are coolies from the Siyane and Hapitigam 

 Koralds, in the Western Province. Very few Kandyans are 

 employed, as they are not handy in blasting and excavating any 

 depth of more than 15 or 20 feet." 



I may add that but few Tamils are employed in the 

 Ceylon plumbago mines, which are, I believe, exclusively 

 owned by Sinhalese, although no doubt the ubiquitous 

 Chetty of Southern India is interested in the recovery of 

 advances made or supplies furnished in some cases. 



To Mr. G. S. Williams, the Acting Government Agent 

 of the North-Western Province, I had previously been 

 indebted for responses to my questions, thus : — 



'* The pits are about sixteen miles north-east of Kurunegala 

 on the Dambulla road. There is a good resthouse at about the 

 12th mile, and the journey in decent weather is easy enough. 



" The trade altogether failed last year — I mean no digging was 

 done — on account of the fall in price, but this year operations have 

 been resumed, and I am told that about 2,000 men are employed. 

 The plumbago is found in rocky ground in which are very large 

 crystals transparent like Derbyshire spar.* De Mel is the owner 

 of the principal pit. The resthouse is at Gokerella. It is not 

 mentioned in Fyers' Itinerary, but is between Polgolla (about a 

 mile beyond it) and Ambanpola. On page 20 of the new edition 

 (1881) Part I., you will find Wetakeyyapota, which is 15*55 miles 

 from Kurunegala and 0*55 mile beyond that, or 16 # 10 from Kuru- 

 negala, ' minor road to plumbago pit on right/ There are other 

 plumbago pits, some actually by the roadside." 



* Crystalline quartsz, of course, as lime taking the form of spar seems 

 to be non-existent in Ceylon ? 



