THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 
333 
ception of the rice small embankments are raised to the 
height of about three feet, to retain the water, which being 
then let in upon the grounds levelled on purpose, soon com- 
pletely inundates them. As soon as the fields begin again 
to get dry, buffaloes are introduced to tread them over, or 
they are turned up with a sort of light plough, which I have 
already described in a former part of this work. The 
ground, thus prepared, looks like one large tract of mud ; 
and in this state it receives the rice which has previously 
been steeped in water mixed with the lime of burnt shells. 
The soil is afterwards levelled, and prevented from caking into 
lumps by a sort of harrow or rake, which consists simply of 
a piece of board fixed to a pole, and drawn edgewise along. 
As the rice will not thrive without the ground being com- 
pletely drenched, it is always necessary to have the fields em- 
banked and prepared by the commencement of the rainy 
season. They usually sow in July and August, and reap in 
February ; although when proper advantage is taken of the 
monsoons, they have often two crops a year. As from the 
manner in which their lands are held, it is necessary for them 
to clear the whole fields at once, they are very careful to 
manage it so that their whole crop of rice may be ripe at 
the same time. In bringing this about, they are particularly 
dexterous ; and though they may have several kinds sown, 
which naturally ripen at different periods, yet by the man- 
ner of sowing and the quantity of water which they intro- 
duce, they contrive to make the whole crop advance equally. 
