No. 62.— 1909.] 



NOTES ON DELFT. 



357 



The rent was 1 rixdollar a year, with 30 rixddilars at the end 

 of every thirty years. The sale was to be on September 1 ; 

 what happened at it I have not been able to ascertain. 

 No European or subject of the United States of America 

 or other persons registered as such were to be accepted as 

 purchasers. 



The islands were described as being valuable on account of 

 their herbage, " which is always luxuriant, and fit for the 

 feeding and fattening of cattle of all description." 



They are situated " adjacent to the western coast of Ceylon, 

 and bearing south-west or nearly so of the Fort of Jaffnapatam 

 and distant from it 16 miles north-east by north or nearly so 

 from the Fort of Mannar, and distant from it 22 miles." 



There was a storm on December 4, 1802, which seems to 

 have done a good deal of damage " in the District of Annella- 

 tivoe." An account of the damage done was furnished to 

 Government in the following March. 



" In 1814 there was a terrific cyclone. The water swept 

 over the island from the north-east and killed (November 25) 

 two persons ', all the sheep and goats, and about 500 cattle and 

 some horses, and felled 4,000 palmyras, and left no house 

 standing except the stone walls of the Government buildings." 

 (Diary of Government Agent, J une 25, 1901. ) In the Government 

 Gazette it is stated that on the night of November 25 the sea 

 burst over the whole of the banks to the north and north-west, 

 entirely inundating the island and causing the destruction of 

 everything that came in its way. " All the houses, with the 

 exception of the Government store houses, have been blown 

 down, the hemp crop has been destroyed, and the wheat has 

 sustained great injury, the hemp in store has been spoilt by 

 salt water, two lives were lost, and the inhabitants have lost 

 nearly the whole of their goats and sheep, with 4,000 palmyra 

 trees. 



" At the Two Brothers island the western wall of the large 

 stable gave way and crushed to death 26 colts. The inhabi- 

 tants are said to have lost 360 head of cattle ; all the tanks 

 and wells are filled with sea water." 



The same cyclone made a breach in the Paumben reef for 

 the first time , and this breach was subsequently enlarged by 



