No. 31.— 1885.] 



PLUMBAGO. 



285 



contribution made by the mineral to railway traffic has been im- 

 portant, the quantity carried verging closely on half the total 

 exports, and there can be little doubt that a very large proportion 

 of the plumbago which came on the line at Polgahawela was 

 from the rich mines of the North- Western Province, very little 

 being from the Kcgalla District. It seems probable that all the 

 plumbago mined in the Central Province came on the railway at 

 the stations beteewn Matale and Nawalapitiya, the quantity being 

 insignificant. 



Appendix Mo. 19. 



Export of Plumbago in 1885. 

 Just before printing, we have received the following figures : — 

 Export of Plumbago* 

 January-June, 1885 ... cwt. 92,386 



In July ... ... „ 25,846 



Total— cwt. 118,232 



Carried down by Railway. 

 1st January to 9th August, 1885 cwt. 47,026 



Appendix Ho. £0, 



A Faithful and Intelligent Sinhalese Kangani. 

 [From the "Ceylon Observer," 31st August, 1885.] 

 "Our researches into the history and character of the plumbago 

 enterprise brought us into pleasant intercourse with the two plum- 

 bago princes — fine specimens of shrewd, well-educated Christian 

 Sinhalese gentlemen—Messrs. Jacob De Mel and W.A. Fernando, 

 We ought to reverse the order of the names on the principle of 

 senior prior , for Mr. Fernando claims to be "the father of all the 

 plumbago merchants." We were amused at this assumption of 

 paternity by so juvenile-looking an individual. Mr. Fernando is 

 one of those men who seem as if they never would grow old, or 

 at least never look old. His brilliant black eyes have all the 

 lustre of youth, and he moves about with all the elasticity of a 

 young man. We were, therefore, greatly surprised to hear him 

 claim ten years more of age than has passed over his grave and 

 rather aged-looking brother-in-law, Mr. De Mel. Mr. Fernando 

 is enthusiastic in regard to all connected with the plumbago 



