356 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XXI. 



There is a picturesque dovecot here in the compound of the 

 Government bungalow, which is, I think, Dutch (see plate IV.). 

 It is substantially built of cut coral stones and contains eighty 

 " houses " for the birds to nest in. It has been fortunate in 

 escaping destruction. I am told that some of the people, 

 headed by a former Magistrate, wanted it pulled down, on the 

 ground that it harboured snakes, as if every stone wall in Delft 

 did not do the same in a worse degree. 



Some Historical Notes from Jaffna Diaries and the 

 " Government Gazette" 



In September, 1797, " The islands of Delft and Two 

 Brothers " (Iranaittivu) were made over to Lieut. -Colonel 

 Barbut, Commandant of Jaffna, " the President in Council " 

 (at Fort St. George) " having judged it advisable to issue 

 orders to the Director of the Government stud at Delft for 

 extending the breed of horses." Mr. John Jervis, the Assist- 

 ant Resident and Collector at Jaffna, wrote (October 4) to 

 Lieut. -Colonel Barbut congratulating him on these arrange- 

 ments, " which you had so much at heart." 



Lieut. -Colonel Barbut paid a visit to Delft between September 

 25 and October 10, taking over some horses from Adriam- 

 pattam. He writes to Jervis from "Newtown" (Negapatam) 

 on September 25, stating that he had sent a message to him 

 " to beg of you to send me one of the Company's sloops to 

 receive on board several mares and a stallion, the property of 

 John Company. I shall go with them to Delft and then 

 proceed to Jaffna, where I hope to be by the 10th of next 

 month." 



Iranaittivu has been so connected with Delft and its horse 

 breeding in the past that a note on the smaller island may 

 not be out of place here. (For an account of Iranaittivu, see 

 Spolia Zeylanica, vol. V., part XVII., November, 1907.) 



Lieut. -Colonel Barbut had a lease of " the islands called 

 the Two Brothers or Irene tivoe " for ninety-nine years, from 

 January 1, 1801 ; and in 1803, after his death, it was proposed 

 to sell the rent of the unexpired portion of the period of the 

 lease " by public outcry." 



