-and=bdtb th e ^e<|2ffiH^-*fia^'.-te0s4st, ’^eoaai? id this panner the
seasons-of- geiieM'vhldfctrjf ^Und -goed-' MlQWsypH*Eacte
OfrlifeSbeieWdffi^^ the^wfrolfr'durin^
they afebuitivating' his! "fields, , The women-'are- not employe^
in/-'Ciffrirltof theses tabq£ih||a^bperaEdns> their' husiaies^is' to
;gaiher the corn -afterthe. ceapeFsbLand asast' MBiSaviagr it. b;
Oxeir sare^'empldyed^both -in ploughing and im treading oUt
■the dbTil - ■ >This -method; of separating the jfiwfel from- the. straw
is ih^eaMty roudh thah|©hri-kaijfchod of threshing
out corn ; and-aS'it'is also attended with muefeIess"Jdtau,r|
%?. eptiljdet^tiehi alwaysKof .the highest itnpprtance Iras a Gey*
-the practkfe-’will beinontinded.:- JFor
unhusking their rice, the- mode they emptoyfisitbS bealght in a
mortarK-er -inbre -frequently -cttr a hards fledr&fe®» if itMg.^Ges'i]^;
.b f ;4 brittle-sdrfy^iaad -likely to break in. faeces’,: theyuboii'it
^preVioak tb beating it out. Water<is | the only .manure wiffich
they think-requisite.
I t is evident fromJ thfe sketch o f their •agrienftfflB©, 'vthat the
-lands .of Ceylon -sdb ’fnot produee a Crop '.'ait-%11 '■eq'ual to rwhati
%y -proper -cultivation, •’they” might- be *made' to bear. The introduction
o f a more improved method- w0a ld ,-iii. all -probability,
'£so6n render th e ' island capable "not only ■$£ supporting 'its
-present Inhabitants* but also o f aSbrdirig -resources- sufficient'for
& much encreased population. • ,
The extreme indoledcb into which 'thd*Geyl<^bsfr -ate^at pre-
. sent sunk; makes them employ every expedienttto escape labpur,
und -the' small quantity of - bfopd; which is - necessary for: the
support o f their existence, .enables them, throughput the greater
part of, the year literally' to livd without dbihg any thing;
.Small as is the labour required for the' cultivation of their riee
fields, many *of themHet fhefr grb4i§s4o their neighbours, who
kre not ^»together -soM lazy;, $ 0% a certain proportion- of grain,
generallyVabout jdn'e-third «*o& it'sVproducbyb TheVk%re a number
o f^ d e d u ftio u ^ ^ b ib fr^ e j^ t^ p ri^ frbm . receiving a larger
propbrjfeioil,: a o,@BSfdprablp • ? quantity - ^ is carried a offflfbytgthe
priests-for*'tfr0i^rvi^s 0^:, tjieir*,’5tbpiple^"; or ik'1'offered up for
protection and* thanksgiving-; both on?account o f;th e blessings
rhey hay^ f@bpiv§dy and in the>frope -of farther assistance, • \
E E