No. 61. — 1908.] PORTUGUESE IN CEYLON. 



103 



owners of these villages were to be compelled to release them, 

 and they were to return to the districts allotted to them from 

 ancient times, and continue to render their ancient services. 

 The monopoly of the cinnamon trade for three years had been 

 sold to Don Hieronymo when general for twelve thousand 

 parddos ; this proceeding was disapproved of by the king 

 and its repetition forbidden. There was much correspondence 

 regarding the trade in this article, culminating in the instruc- 

 tions given to Manuel Mascarenhas Ho mem as related above . 

 All the gems collected on the king's account were ordered 

 to be sent to Goa and Cochin for sale. Don Nuno Alvares 

 Pereira had appointed Francisco Barbosa to be superintendent 

 and vidane over their collection, but in the subsequent year 

 the gem-yielding district had risen in revolt, and it was not 

 found possible to collect any on the king's account. An 

 attempt was also made to develop the cultivation of pepper 

 by ordering a moiety of all rents due to the Crown to be paid 

 in that commodity. It was not considered desirable to 

 introduce any innovation in the manner of collecting areca, 

 but the vedor was specially recommended to attend to the 

 supply of rice. 



The Christians of the fishery coast, who were subject to the 

 ouvidor of Mannar, were in 1613 permitted to select their 

 own judges, the ouvidor being instructed to hold a yearly 

 sessions so as to satisfy himself that justice was being properly 

 administered. 



All mutiares, canacapules, and heads of korales and 

 villages were instructed to hold themselves subject to the 

 orders of the vedor for the preparation of the thombo, except 

 when, as was frequently the case, their services were required 

 by the general for military and administrative purposes. 

 The custom under the Sinhalese kings was that where a 

 person died leaving no issue, all his property lapsed to the 

 Crown, and one- third in case he left issue surviving him ; 

 this source of revenue was known as maralla. This custom 

 was discontinued during the administration of Don Hieronymo , 

 and the rules of succession which had been adopted in Goa 

 in the case of gentiles were ordered to be followed in Ceylon , 

 as they were found to be a great aid to conversion. The 



