122 
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
Beef, fish, and fowl in particular, are both cheap and plenti- 
ful. Mutton is excessively dear, as no sheep can be reared 
in the neighbourhood of Colombo. I have already mentioned 
that it is only at Jafnapatam they have ever been pastured 
on Ceylon with success; and the transportation of them from 
thence or from the continent of India must of course render 
the price of mutton excessively high at Col umbo. I am 
doubtful, however, if either the climate or pasture of the 
island be so noxious to them as is generally imagined. I 
have eat remarkably fine and fat mutton, which had been 
brought from Bengal and the Coromandel coast, and pastured 
on Ceylon several months before it was killed. I am led 
to think that one principal reason why sheep have not been 
reared here with success, is their falling so easy a prey to 
jackals, snakes, and other noxious animals. Pigs are reared 
in great abundance; although neither I nor my brother officers 
were very partial to them, as soon as we found that cleanli- 
ness was reckoned an entirely superfluous article in feed- 
i 
ing them. From the same cause we were not very fond of 
seeing ducks on our tables, although they were rather cheap 
and in plenty. Geese are rare, and turkeys not to be had,, 
except a few imported occasionally by ships coming from 
other parts of India. 
In consequence of the additional expence to which the 
military stationed in Ceylon were unavoidably subjected. 
Government granted them full batta , or a double allowance 
of the East India Company’s pay. This however went no 
