THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
3Q 
The island of Ceylon was originally divided into a number 
of distinct petty kingdoms, separated by the several rivers and 
mountains which are dispersed over the face of the island, and 
subject each to its own independent sovereign. In process of 
time, however, the whole country was reduced under the do- 
minion of the king of Candy, and divided by him into a few 
great provinces, from which several of the numerous titles he 
still retains were derived. These provinces were Candy, Coi- 
tou, Matura, Dambadar, and Sittivacca, which included the 
rich districts on the west coast. The chief of these provinces 
was Candy ; it was situated in the centre of the island, and ho- 
noured with the royal residence. The king holds his court there 
to this day ; and though all the other provinces have been more 
or less encroached upon, no part of Candy has ever been re- 
duced to permanent subjection under a foreign power. These 
provinces were subdivided into districts, known in that country 
by the name of corles , and corresponding to our shires or coun- 
ties. These subdivisions are still continued in the parts wrested 
from the natives by the Hutch ; and the government of each of 
them is given to the civil and military officers who hold posts 
in their vicinity. 
The great divisions of the island now are reduced to two ; 
the one comprehending those parts under the dominion of Eu- 
ropeans, and the other those which still remain to the natives. 
In the map prefixed to this volume, the boundaries of these 
two divisions are distinctly pointed out ; and it will be ob- 
served that the European dominion, like a ring, completely 
