No, 6.— 1853.] DISTRICT OF CHILAW AND PUTTALAM. 41 



or 320 lbs. of oil. The average price of copperah is from 22s. 

 to 30s. and above, per bar ; that of oil 2\d. to 3|^. per bottle ; 

 and that of poonac about \d. per lb., and from 8s. $d. to lis. 

 Sd. per bar. One bar of copperah yields about 210 lbs. of 

 poonac. 



There are, besides those already enumerated, certain other 

 products of the cocoanut tree, which add to the profits of the 

 planter. Thus, the leaves split lengthways and then woven 

 together by means of the leaflets, form what are called cadjans,* 

 of which 100 sell for Is. §d. or 2s.; or if the cadjans be woven 

 into a sort of continuous sheet or mat, called a karisanku 

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

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

 give 1,000 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 ob- 

 tained from the cocoanut tree vary extremely in different parts, 

 of the District. To prevent misunderstanding, I give separately 

 the usual prices at Kalpitiya in the north, and Madampe in 

 the south. At both places the tree flourishes and is cultivated 

 to a great extent. 



At Kalpitiya the cocoanuts are worth about £1. 10s. per 

 1,000. Poonac from 8s. 9d. to lis. Sd. per bar (onequarter 

 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 Kal- 

 pitiya, 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 1,000 bars of copperah go to 

 Colombo, 100 to the Northern Province, and 2,000 to the Coast; 

 the last-mentioned paying an export duty of 2 J- per cent. A 

 small quantity of oil is sent to Jaffna, and occasionally a little 

 to the Coast. Keturn dhonies take about 50,000 cadjans to 

 India annually ; these pay a duty of 2 J per cent., and are worth 



