EESEEYATIONS. 
cultivation of his rice fields, is sometimes cut off and sent 
down another stream. Has the question ever been ask- 
ed, or proved, whether or not blackened, smelling pulp 
water is beneficial or otherwise to the irrigation of rice 
fields ? The reservation of forest for the use of natives 
used to be a somewhat sore subject, both to them and 
the planters. In calmly reviewing by-gone times, it 
seems to me, in many cases, Government were somewhat 
inconsistent in their general action in this matter. 
Take, for instance, the Peacock Hill, behind Pussellawa, 
originally completely covered with forest, and standing 
like some huge island completely surrounded on all sides 
by extensive rice fields, and a very numerous native 
population. One would naturally suppose, here is a, 
fitting locality for at least some native reservation, in- 
stead of which the whole has long since passed into the 
hands of European proprietors ; not a stick is left. And 
also, with regard to the great question of water, every 
river and stream descending from this bill must, in some 
measure, affect the numerous native residents around its 
base, and it cannot bo called in question, that, during 
crop season, every one of those streams, more or less, is 
polluted with pulp. Hot only during crop but foi' long 
after it is finished, the pulp slime will cling to rocks and 
stones in the beds of the rivers, so that it may fairly be 
questioned if the water in these streams ever is in a fit 
state to be used either by man or beast. In contrast 
to this, there is a considerable extent of chena ground, 
at the Sangilipalam, below Choisy estate, on the road 
to Pundaluloya. This is considered a fit subject for 
native reservation. On what grounds? There is no 
water on it : not a drop. The timber is merely a lot of 
brushwood ; it can be of little use for the pasture of 
cattle, as the patches of grass-land are but few and scant. 
Since the Pundaluloya road was opened, as a matter of 
course a considerable number of natives have opened 
patches of coffee here. But whether or not the land 
belongs to them is a question, as also whether or not 
their title-deeds are correct, that is to say if they have 
any. 
The real fact is, at all events was, that the question 
as to the sale or otherwise . of land rested in a great 
measure, in fact altogether, with the report or sanction 
of the Katemahatmeya of the district. Ho matteT how 
necessary any portion of ground was in or for the rights 
of the people, if the intending applicant had “ the ear ” 
of the Eatemahatmaya it was all right. It may be, the 
latter often passed his sanction to save himself trouble, 
to which all native minds are most decidedly adverse. 
For if the applicant was a persevering man, he would 
not submit to the simple negative of the headman. He^ 
