May I, 1B91.] 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
793 
of whioh an account is here furnished, cannot be 
known. The sites selected for prospecting are either 
the beds of streams or the dry land in their vicinity, 
and as the gemmer needs but few appliances, he is 
not handicapped by much initial outlay. These ap- 
pliances consist of a few crowbars, a few mamotees, 
a long iron sounding rod, “Illankcore,” and a close 
basket made of split bamboo reeds. 
Thus equipped, the gemmer, if the site selected 
is the bed of a stream, commences operations in 
the dry season (December to March), when the water 
is low and sluggish. He first clears the sand away, 
and from time to time uses the sounding rod to see 
whether the gravel or ‘‘illan,” hence the name of 
the rod, is accessible. In getting to this “illan,” the 
matrix in which the gems are found, his efforts are 
sometimes retarded by impedimenta in the form of 
blocks of rooks, and invariably by a sort of crust, 
called “Cabook” which has to be penetrated, as it 
is commonly under this crust that the “illan” lies. 
On reaching this stage, and when the gravel is ex- 
posed, the coolies, who have hitherto been assisting 
the gemmers, are promptly sent away, as none but 
the initiated and those vitally interested in the success 
of the undertaking, are allowed to ba present at the 
further development of the search. The gravel is now 
scooped out by means of the mamotees, and is de- 
posited in the wicker basket, held under water with 
the feet. The basket thus sccuied, the “idan” in 
it is rotated with a quick motion, by which means 
the clay is dissolved and the lighter particles of stones, 
and, from time to time, the larger ones, if after due 
inspection they are worthless, are thrown out. The 
whole is thus reduced to what is termed “uabooa,” 
a thiu heavy sand, mostly oompored of partiebs of 
precious stones, which on careful security are secured. 
Much similar to this is the process when the site 
for search is on dry land near a stream, the season for 
work being the same. Here the earth is removed 
to the level of the water, and when it becomes soft, 
the sounding rod is brought into requisition. So 
deftly is this used in the hands of an experienced 
worker, that he is seldom misled as to whether 
the “ illan ” is within practicable depth. The result 
being satisfactory, an anxious moment ensues, 
for the gemmer has to guard, with redoubled vigour, 
against an influx of water. The soft sand being 
removed, the “ illan ” is readily come upon, should 
there bo no ‘‘ cabooa” to break through, and, by 
means of the crowbar, it is detached and heaped 
up for washing, either in the pit itself, if there is 
not much water in it, or in the adjacent shallow 
stream. To facilitate labour, the whole of the pit 
is not gemmed at ence. Only one-half of the earth 
is removed, a fligat of steps being constructed in 
the other half to expedite the removal of the earth 
and the baling out of the water. This half being 
exhausted, room is afforded for the earth on its 
removal irom the remaining half, which is then 
in its turn operate 1 on. The “ illan " on being 
heaped up undergoes the process already described. 
Simple and primitive as the process of gemming 
appears, it is in the majority of instances dis- 
appointing in the extreme, when the tangible 
benefits derived are compared with the great 
amount of labour involved. Tue sites and directions in 
whioli goms are imbedded are very uncertain and quite 
unknown, and though in some cr.ses pits are workable 
in a few days, la others, days, months and sometimes 
years lapse before the matrix which contains these 
precious stones is discovered. But the reward of this 
may not be here, for the matrix may not yield a 
suflicienoy of gems, even of the smallest value, to 
show a profit or even to cover the expenses. Fiom 
enquiries the writer has instituted, it may be taken as 
substantiated, that of every ton pits sunk but one is 
found to pay. Tbut, notwitbstuuCiug these facts, the 
industry should have been engaged in by the poorer 
class of catives, shows bow hard a struggle for life 
they had toenoounter. 
During the reign of the Kandyan Kings when caste 
prevailed and was rigiilly observed, for once a barber 
always a barber was the rule, the iuhabitauta of certain 
villages wore exclusively set apart for gemming pur- I 
poses. A body of hereditary gem men, with two bead- 
men, also hereditary, to superintend the establishment 
was thus formed. This practice died out on the advent 
of the more enlightened and liberal British Govern- 
ment, and the gemming industry became open to all 
sorts and conditions of men. 
For the past fifty years, the industry has been 
pursued by a number of poor people whose sole 
subsistence depended in very great measure on any 
little find. Others again, mostly agriculturists, re- 
sorted to gemming to eke out what the cultivation of 
“ paddy” did not always afford them, so as to save 
themselves from absolute starvation. While so afford- 
ing relief, a system of joint-stookery on a small scale, 
between expert gemmers and landowners, introducing 
speculation into it, gradually crept in. In course of 
time the attention of European speculators, forming 
themselves iuto companies, was drawn to it, leading 
to the investment of larger capital. 
Up to the time of the formation of these European 
companies, the natives were unrestricted in their 
efforts at gemming, the only places they were not 
allowed to exploit without licenses being Crown waste 
lands. The advent of European capital caused the 
Government to step in, in the early part of last 
year, with the enactment of an ordinance, that 
with one fell swoop did away with all the privi- 
leges hitherto enjoyed by the indigenous population. 
The features of this ordinance may be briefly summarised. 
It enacts that a fee of R5 is payable for a license for 
every pit opened in whatever locality, the number 
of men employed on each pit being fixed, for each 
of whom a sum of 75 cents., or 12 annas, for a 
term of three months is due. A specially hard 
feature lii s herein, for if the number of persons 
when the license is issued should be 26, and 27 
happen at any one time to be employed, the license 
can be cancelled by Government, and each extra man 
BO employed may be fined R50, or in default undergo 
six months’ imprisonment. 
lhat this is a most unreasonable clause should be 
apparent to the most unthinking mind, and its execu- 
tion has had the effect of preventing the poor people 
to the number of 20,000 from in any way devoting 
their attention to gemming. It not unfrequently hap- 
pens that with a sudden influx of water into the pit 
an increased strength of labour is absolutely neces- 
sary for baling purposes if all the efforts already put 
forth aio not to be frustrated. As has been shown, any 
excess of labour involves a heavy penalty, unless it 
has been duly applied for and a fresh lioeiise obtained, 
a matter involving a delay of, say, four days, if not 
more, as a number of formalities have to be undergone, 
including the drawing up of a report as to the altered 
circumstances of the pit, by the village headman, ao 
unpaid native official. 
The ordinance appears to have been drafted on the 
assumption lhat the Crown, as successors to the Kandyan 
Kings, has a prerogative right \.o gems, even on private 
lands. That such a right was ever exercised by tbase 
sovereigns is doubtful, and is not clearly established. 
It is at all events remarkable that the claim now put 
forth should have been lost sight of for a long period 
of years, and that it should now only engage atten- 
tion. 
But not content with these rights, the Government 
goes further and seeks to establish similar on is on 
lands which it itself previously sold expre.’ssly as yem 
lands for high and fancy prices. These lauds were 
sold outright to the present owners, and that they 
should bo called upon to render to Government a 
share of the gems found is opposed to every sense of 
political morality. 
Another objection to the ordinance, and a potent 
one too, as it involves a clear breach of faith, is 
that the tax is enforced on lands belonging to Buddliist 
temples, and on the villages of Kandyan Chiofs, who 
assisted the British power in taking the Kandyan 
proviuoes, whereas by law these lands were declared 
free of all ta.x. 
That the ordinance is felt as an extreme hardship 
by the people, leading them to transmit a temperately 
worded memorial to the Secretary of State for the 
Colonies, detailing their grievances, is not to bo wondered 
