Ixxiy. Appendix : — Proceedings of 



ledge of manufacturing Paper from the latter, who, it is well known, have 

 made it from the liber, or inner bark of a species of Morus, cotton and 

 bamboo, from time immemorial. Whilst botanizing in the jungles of 

 Badulla, a species of Fig was pointed out to me by an old Kandian doc- 

 tor, which he said, had been formerly used to make paper from. He 

 knew nothing himself, however, of the process by which this was effected. 

 On further inquiry I ascertained from another aged Kandian, that the 

 plant to which my notice had been first called, was of different species 

 from that which had been used by his countrymen for making paper. 



This individual himself had never made any, but understood the me- 

 thod that had been resorted to for the purpose, as his ancestors had to 

 supply the Stores of the Kings of Kandy with Paper, being that branch 

 of the general service that had been imposed on them,— a service better 

 known by the name of " Rajekarie, " compulsory labour. 



The Paper thus manufactured by them was used not for the purpose of 

 writing upon, but for making Cartridges for gunpowder. The people on 

 whom this duty devolved were the natives of Beddegame in the District 

 of Badulla, who received grants of land in consideration of the service 

 they rendered to the State. 



The tree from which the Kandians made their Paper is a species of the 

 Ficus, called in Singhalese Nanitol, which is found in great abundance 

 every where in this country. 



The following is the Kandian mode of making Paper : — - 

 From the tender branches the whole of the bark is stripped, and after- 

 wards the inner bark (liber) which is of great tenacity, is separated from 

 the outer skin with the hand, and is put into a large earthen pot, and 

 boiled with the ashes of the Erythrina indica (Erabodee) until it becomes 

 soft, when it is removed and beaten with a wooden mallet on a stone, 

 till it assumes the consistency of dough. It is next put into water, and 

 churned with the hand, which process soon converts it to a fine homo- 

 geneous emulsion. This is poured into a frame having a cloth bottom 

 floating in water. It is again agitated with the hand until the whole 

 of it becomes uniformly spread over the cloth, on which it settles down 

 smoothly. 



The frame being then withdrawn from the water, which is allowed to 

 drain off gradually, is next put to dry in the sun. The Paper thus 

 formed is easily removed from the cloth bottom, and becomes soon fit 

 for use. It is very tough, and remarkable for its tenacity, and does not 

 appear to be liable to the ravages of insects, as may be seen from the 

 enclosed specimen of Kandian paper, marked "No. 1, which was made 

 about 50 years ago, and which is still in excellent preservation, although 



