District of Chilaw and Putlam. 35 



of which a hundred sell for Is. 6d. or 2s. 9 or if the cadjans be 

 woven into a sort of continuous sheet or mat, called a carrisango 

 (twelve cadjans making from four to six carrisangoes), a hun- 

 dred of these are worth 4s. or 4s. 6d. Again, 250 to 300 nuts 

 give 1000 fathoms of coir rope, worth about 2s. 6d. In fact, 

 the uses of this tree are endless. 



As might be expected, the prices of the various products 

 obtained from the cocoanut tree, vary extremely in different 

 parts of the District. To prevent misunderstanding, I give se- 

 parately the usual prices at Kalpentyn in the north, and 

 Mahdampe in the south. At both places the tree flourishes and 

 is cultivated to a great extent. 



At Kalpentyn the cocoanuts are worth about £l 10s. per 

 1,000. Poonack from Ss. 9d. to lis. Sd. per bar, (one quarter 

 of a ton). Copperah £1. Is. to £2. 3s. per bar. Oil 5d. to 

 5%d. per seer. 



About 300,000 cocoanuts are annually exported from 

 Kalpentyn, almost the whole quantity going to the Continent 

 of India; a few thousands besides are sent over in the husk 

 for planting. From the same Port 1000 bars of copperah go to 

 Colombo, 100 to the Northern Province, and 2000 to the 

 Coast. The last mentioned paying an export duty of 2\ Jper 

 cent. A small quantity of oil is sent to Jaffna, and occasion- 

 ally a little to the Coast. Eeturn Dhonies take about 50,000 

 cadjans to India annually; these pay a duty of 2\ per cent., and 

 are worth at Kalpentyn from Is. 6d. to 2s. per 100; but at the 

 places where they are made not more than from 1\d. to 

 9d. per 100. 



At Mahdampe, on the other hand, copperah is worth from 

 £1. 2s. 6d. to £2. 5s. per bar; poonack §<£ per lb., and oil from 

 2±d. to 3fc?. per bottle. About 10,000 or 12,000 bars of 

 copperah are annually taken to Colombo for sale. 



I ought perhaps to add, that the tree is generally at first 

 grown in nurseries, and that it will bear transplanting at a 

 considerable age. 



It is greatly to be regretted that the upset Government 



