LAND-SALE ADVERTISEMENTS. 
take advantage of this, attend the sale, on the principle* 
that the applicant was a man of experience and knew 
what he was about, that, if it was worth so much to him,, 
it was worth as much or more to them, f»nd the original 
applicant, after all his trouble, frequently found, it had 
been of no avail, that some one with a longer purse had' 
taken advantage of his experience and outbid him. 
However, as a rule, amongst neighbours and friends, 
one would not offer for his friend’s application, that is. 
to say if the friends were on friendly terms, which 
was not always the case The intending purchaser,, 
however, if resident near, had generally evei\\ thing liis 
own way. . In former times, indeed, it frepiently 
happened that he cut the boundaries of the land he re- 
quired himself. So, with a gang of coolies siipjjlied' 
with axes and catties, he proceeded to the jungle and' 
commenced to cut. He paid no respect to the straight 
lines, but cut out as his inclination desired, zigzag north, 
south, east, and west, avoiding what he considered bad 
or unsuitable land, and taking in all the best. When, 
this was done, he reported to the Survey Office that he 
had cut a piece of land which he desired to be put up 
for sale, and, when convenient, a surveyor was sent out,, 
who measured out and laid down on the plan the ap- 
plicant’s lot, which after being duly advertised in the 
Government Gazette was put up for sale. 
It is the writer’s opinion that the Ceylon Govern- 
ment have lost to themselves a great deal of money in 
the sale of their lands by neglecting or I’efusing to ad- 
vertise in the local newspapers these land sales. Few’' 
of the general public read the Gazette^ or even see it. 
I have known many instances where the first that was^. 
known of a portion of land having been sold w^as the 
statement of the purchaser that he had bought it at 
the upset price of £l per acre, and I have frequently 
heard the remark, or remarks, “ If I (or we) had only- 
known, you would not have got it for £5 !” The com- 
plaint of the public on this negligent system of ad- 
vertising lands became so great that the editor of the^ 
Observer, with a laudable desire to oblige his readers,, 
commenced to insert copies of these advertisements, 
extracted from the Governmmt Gazette, in his own. 
paper, receiving nothing from Government for so doing. 
But he soon gave it up, as they declined to pay foiv 
the advertisements, and I have a distinct recollection o^ . 
corresponding with the editor on this subject, my owm 
view, at that time, being that he was wrong in giving'; 
it up, that, as a public journalist, it was his duty to give, 
all and every information in his power to the general* 
public, especially on such a very important matter as 
the sale of land, a matter on which the progress and' 
