202 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[Ceylon. 



leaves are different ; and the bark itself has nothing either of the taste or 

 smell of cinnamon- The natives use it in medicine. 



IX. Is called mael coronde, or the flowering cinnamon, because this 

 tree is always in blossom. The substance of the wood never becomes so 

 solid and weighty in this as in the other cinnamon-trees before mentioned, 

 which are sometimes eight, nine, or ten feel in circumference. If this ever- 

 flowering cinnamon be cut or bored, a limpid water will issue out of the 

 wound ; but it is of use only for the leaves and bark. 



The inhabitants of Ceylon say there is yet another sort of cinnamon, 

 which they call toupat carvnde, or the three-leafed cinnamon. This grows 

 in the Candy country. 



The cinnamon-tree flourishes only in a small portion of the island. It 

 is confined to the S. W. angle, formed by the sea coast, from Negombo to 

 Matura. The largest cinnamon plantation is situated in the vicinity of 

 Columbo, and is upwards of twelve miles in circumference ; others of a 

 smaller size lie near Negombo, Calture, Point de Galle, and Matura, and 

 all stretch along the sea coast. 



The best cinnamon is known by the following properties : — it is thin, 

 and rather pliable ; it ought to be about the substance of royal paper, or 

 somewhat thicker- It is of a light colour, and rather inclinable to yellow, 

 bordering but little upon the brown : it possesses a sweetish taste, at the 

 same time is not stronger than can be borne without pain, and is not suc- 

 ceeded by any after-taste. The more cinnamon departs from these charac- 

 teristics, the coarser and less serviceable it is esteemed ; and it should be re- 

 jected if it be hard, and thick as a half-crown piece ; if it be very dark- 

 coloured or brown ; if it be very pungent and hot upon the tongue, with a 

 taste bordering upon that of cloves, so that it cannot be suffered without 

 pain, and so that the mucus upon the tongue is consumed by it when several 

 trials are made of it ; or if it has any after-taste, such as to be harsh, bitter, 

 and mucilaginous. Particular care should be taken that it is not false 

 packed, or mixed with cinnamon of a common sort- 



The tonnage of cinnamon is calculated at 8 Cwt. to the ton. 



Oil of Cinnamon. — This valuable oil is drawn from the broken and 

 small cinnamon, which yielding but a small quantity of essential oil, that of 

 cassia is in general substituted in its place. If the oil of cinnamon be 

 genuine, and you dip the point of a penknife into it, it will not flame at a 

 candle, but smoke ; if it soon flames, it is adulterated with spirits of wine. 

 If adulterated with an expressed oil, put a few drops into water, and shake 

 it, when the essential oil will sink to the bottom, and the expressed oil 

 float on the surface. Or drop it into a glass of brandy, and if £Ood, it will 



