No. 57. — 1906.] coconut cultivation. 



59 



(doubtless for Cambay and Persian ports); while 400 nuts 

 were in these islands sold for a larin, a coin of about Sd. 

 sterling or 50 cents of our rupee in value. (The Maldives 

 have maintained a continuous export trade in coconuts — as 

 their staple product — for, probably, 500 to 600 years at least. 

 Percival records how early in the past century a ship from 

 the Maldive Islands touched at Galle, which was entirely 

 built, rigged, provisioned, and laden with the produce of the 

 coconut palm.) Although such a Portuguese authority as 

 Ribeiro took so little notice of the coco palm, we know from 

 other contemporary writers that its cultivation was, by the 

 beginning of the 17th century, attended to round many 

 villages in the interior as well as on the coast. An interest- 

 ing reference to this period is found in the diary of a Jesuit 

 priest (Father Manoel Barradas) who travelled in 1613 with 

 other priests as far inland as Seven Korales.* They were 

 welcomed at several towns and villages, notably at Matte- 

 gama,f "capital of the Seven Corlas" (then an important town, 

 " 10 leagues from the coast," apparently situated about two 

 miles from Giriulla between the Maha-oyaandDeyahandula) 

 with decorations along the roadsides " of tender leaves of 

 palms, hanging at one place and another cocos and bunches 

 for those of our company to help themselves to them at their 

 will," and so at some other villages on their way back to 

 Madampe and Ohilaw ; but it must be noted that there is no 

 mention of the palm growing at Madampe, Kalpitiya (Calpen- 

 tyn), or Mannar at that time. It is of further interest to 

 quote two passages from this Jesuit writer referring, first to 

 coconut palms at Colombo in -1613, and secondly to palms 

 generally in the Island : — 



"As the Portuguese in the time of the kings of Ceilao 

 possessed nothing outside the walls, on account of sieges 

 being frequent, the same city served them as a palm-grove, 



* See " Monthly Literary Register," vol. IV., 1896, page 129 et seq. 



t Mattegama, in 1613 the then capital of Seven Korales and 11 a large 

 town well laid out in streets," is now a poor little village, the change 

 "being possibly due to its malarious situation. 



