arrival, they ■ havybeen i-mucb improved, ande enclosed-with- a
broad embankment. He has. also caused ' a new- road 'to ?be
mSde ’through them in a ’ /different ediicetion from I the//circular
One -1 have 'Mready described;-.but i equally fexeeUent andyplea-
sarit.
' ‘The plantations, besides- yielding cinnamon of an -equal quality
with t h a t t h e wild state, are infinitely TOOre eqiigs-
modious, from- ■ the trees being regularly placed jin ;rows/i|loistea#
ofi,Jtlfc’ people eittplbyed- in barking being obliged todereep'
through intricate and pathless: Woods, in:-search iflity *
•'There/are two different seasons in which cinnamon is. barked.
The greater quantity is prepared during -whatris called
the grand harvest, which Ifc&ts dfeam. April 'fit*
tie harvest continues for little , more than a month, from November
to January. The barking ; is, however, jp | no means
restricted to these particular seasons; I have-jqbSeryed,, hark
Brought in every moilth. of the year..
Each particular district where the cinnamon grows is bojlnd
to furnish yearly a i certain quantity i -oj i cinnamon pfopbrtidned
to the number of'the villages and inhabitants whifih - it con«
tains. The Onglesepin -return; for, this-'seririce^haiy© .each a
piece of land allotted them rent > free. - They are also exempted
ftbin other government services^ and enjoy other, privileges in
proportion to the quantity which they deliver.,
Those who are employed to barkPhe trees are called schjalias
by the Dutch, and by as choliahs. . Over them are placed officers
of a superior class, whose - business it is to superintend
the workmen, to take chkrge. of - the woods, and to prevent
cattle and improper persons from trespassing there. Besides
these, there is a set of officers of a higher cast, called cinna-
4
3 H H ™ ^ judge and punish all
small offeriy^yand do superintend the difiSfen# districts and vil-’
ages wheip! *'thfri oholia^residi. J-OiT-er^the- whoJeS a -head offiJ
Icrrtfej ipfeced, usually-known b /i the ■ Porttrguele ’ name -of Captain
^ « 7 ^ , '-Which mhahs Captairii Cihnaman. He 'is styled
h y the Sm B I Corunda Mahahadda, or. Chief /Of Cinnamon.
The u chifef.‘.Jdfoo'dMier’ deceives all tlfo^ipdrts- edheeming the
woods, and- M ie^ d n ^ h Affairs in%4jiendy from the' inferior
dfficers., ■ ahd-^transmitsd'lhem'i; /to-'/ttfo-Captain,'whoJ is accountable
/-blriTy i,/to4;beigdve-r nor.', -■f
'Under -the government fo^'thef/Dutfcb ithe ehoKahs enjoyed,
very.- extpsive privileges/--and' were Recounted amenable only!
tm^tfeeiir own ;-Moodelier^e Tcom heiiefe -jfebey thought? them--
selqes/.eiS|it>led-.to^st -the a u th o r it^ o ^ o n r military offidenc
InUheedjstricC'of Caltura, wherfe'Oietftenaht T.^Macdonnell commanded,
they/.absolutely - refused -'tohacinbwledgc- his authority i
and a party.of them'ori^ day Crossing'the 'Caltura river, almost'
under tfcfe commandants WindoWs-;1 they shewed their 'disrespect
b y maltreating^ the n ativ e Who-ffemed- them'Wdr-and throw-
wS"s&n*4' headlong, outf'of the boafiP-into>4he riveH"tb( the
imminent d*ngdr of -their lives, j Mr. Macdohnell, h a v i^ ih V e ^
tigated. tlfoncireumstance, ordered the--offenders'i to be tied up
and floggedythe ordinary punishment in such cases.' At the
sameJtimfe'he reported-.what?'he had done-to governor North
and, Represented- to him
shch contempt of subordination. The hholiahs on' their 'part
complained 4to-the governor of this-: encroachment on their privileges,^
and 3RW* that/fihey were/amenable oiily to their
governor North,- however, was well convinced that
the admission of this plea Would only pave the way to greater
Y f 2