No. 35. — 1887.] notes on ceylon. 151 



At two o'clock at night the tamboelijnties beat the reveille, 

 and the march commenced. We went in the bright moonlight 

 through a valley over the river to Roeenelle, 17 the frontier 

 town of the land of the Company and of the King of Candia, 

 three miles from Zeduaaken. The river that divides Roe- 

 enelle from the King's and the Company's land comes from 

 some distance out of the land that lies around there, and falls 

 there into the river that comes from Candia, and passing 

 through Zeduaaken by Anguellen 18 and then to the Pas and 

 Matualen 19 falls into the sea there. Having come there, com- 

 pliments on both sides were exchanged by means of interpre- 

 ters at the river, where the King's Ambassadors were ferried 

 over in tonies, 20 and we went up the bank of the river, where 

 some pedereroes [basseri] were fired off, with a salute from 

 the muskets. The blacks or Cingalese had prepared a hut there 

 and hung it with white linen after their custom, and had 

 covered the table, and we were there treated in Cingalese 

 style. After we had eaten, we returned again to Zeduaaken. 



The new King sent Ambassadors a second time to the 

 Governor, testifying his regard for the Company, whereupon 

 the Governor again sent a letter to the King. The Governor's 

 letter was carried publicly in a silver dish, which was 

 covered over with cloth of silver, on the head of an officer, 

 who walked beneath a handsome pavilion or tabernacle, as far 

 as the Pas. Beside the two companies that went along 

 with him, there were nearly all the other officers, both 

 superior and petty, in the second carriage next to the 

 Ambassadors, or on horseback, and so they went, under the 

 salute of the cannon, as far as the Pas, whence they returned 

 with the two companies to Colombo towards evening. 



Going to Cotton, 21 about two miles from Colombo, I found 

 the whole way nothing but clumps of cinnamon trees, which 

 grow there wild and in great quantity ; which trees become 

 so thick that one cannot encircle them with one's arms, but 

 do not shoot up very high, but after the manner of apple trees. 

 The leaves are almost like those of the wild laurel, and have 

 each three ribs. It is a wonderful tree ; its bark or rind, 



