District of Chilaw and Putlam. 41 



Plantains grow abundantly every where, but little atten- 

 tion is paid to the selection of good varieties. 



The Betel creeper is found in every village, but only 

 towards the south are large gardens given up to this plant* 



Pepper was at one time cultivated to a great extent near 

 Mahdampe, but is now totally neglected, the natives believ- 

 ing that if ground be devoted to it alone, the expenses of the 

 cultivation would not be covered, and that if allowed to 

 clamber round cocoanut trees, these would be destroyed. 



Coffee grows freely and the fruit is collected by the natives, 

 but it is of course of little or no value. 



Cinnamon is found abundantly about eight miles to the 

 south of Putlam, and also in other parts of the District; the bark 

 used to be collected during the existence of the Government 

 monopoly, and the villagers still gather small quantities of it* 



The Bread fruit and Jack are much cultivated towards the 

 south ; the former grows well at Kalpentyn. 



The Sappan wood grows in the District, but I am not 

 aware that it is collected for sale. 



In some parts of the District, Hemp (lianne) is raised in 

 considerable quantities ; but the absence of pure running 

 streams is a great obstacle in the way of the cultivator ; it 

 is chiefly employed by fishermen. 



Formerly, when the collection of cheya (Hedyotis ( Olden- 

 iandia ) umhellata ) was a Government monopoly, large quanti- 

 ties used to be obtained from the sandy downs which gird the 

 coast ; that growing in the neighbourhood of Kalpentyn was 

 considered to be of the best quality. A peculiar caste of 

 people employ themselves to a considerable extent in digging 

 up and drying the root, which yields a very brilliant, and I 

 believe, permanent red dye. About ten or fifteen tons of this 

 article are exported annually to the Continent of India. 



It may be proper to mention that at Kalpentyn consider- 

 able quantities of a kind of seaweed are dried and sent to 

 different parts of the Island, where it is usually t ermed Jaffna 

 moss. 



VOL. II. & 



