THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
those seas. A number of inferior articles, the produce of 
this quarter of the island, are exported by the Moors and 
Malabars who reside here for that purpose. These articles 
are betel-leaf and areka nut, jaggery, a sort of coarse black- 
ish sugar, cocoa-nuts and oil, honey, bees- wax, cardamoms, 
coral, ivory, fruit, and a variety of other lesser articles. In 
return they import coarse cotton cloths and calicoes, pieces of 
printed or painted clotlis for women’s apparel, coarse muslins, 
handkerchiefs, palampoes, stockings, china ware, tin, copper, 
and a variety of toys ; also bomeloes, a species of fish pecu- 
liar to Bombay, and onions from the same place, where they 
are remarkably good. 
The Dutch exacted a duty of five per cent on all these 
exports and imports, which is still continued by our Go- 
.vernment. 
Every year, in general towards February, a Portuguese or 
Chinese ship arrives from Macao with teas, sugar, candied 
sweetmeats, hams, silks, velvets, nankeens, umbrellas, straw- 
hats, all kinds of china-ware and toys. These articles meet 
with a very speedy sale ; and as they are generally paid in 
hard-money, they occasion a great deal of gold and silver to 
be carried out of the island. 
The current coin here, as well as in the rest of the Euro- 
pean dominions on the island, consisted on the arrival of the 
English, of rix-dollars, a nominal coin, like our pound ster- 
ling, valued at a certain quantity of copper money. There 
were besides several smaller copper coins, called pice or stivers-. 
