profits of the pearl-fis'hery,. and the imposts laid oh the several
articles imported into- Ceylon from other parts of India. 0
I With regard: tó the various- sbufcès frófn whihh !fthè ^revenue
-|§y derived! and the amount of*'teach, - my ; short stó p in . the
island after its affairs ï%éré- again reduced to regular Order,
prevented mé- from obtaining any verypaTticul&r' information
Of the cinnamon pfódüe#, I learnt - -that about .5000 bags aife
annually sent home, Or at' least brought -from -the woods to
Golumbo. Each bag weighs .-86 pounds. The cinnamon »costs
government about sixpence a pound for barking, and -iftfree-^
pence' for all other expteiitetes. I t is sold for ‘ about steven, shillings
and sixpence to the East India company, to whom* it \is-
delivered in ; the island, and they of course bear all. th e -subsequent
charges. Government, therefore, has six shillings add
nine-pence a pound Clear on about 430,000 pounds of’«inriamon>.
I t is understood that the ‘ cinnamon and pearl fishery together
bring in an annual - revenue of about sê350,000 sterling. All
calicoes, cottons, and other Indian manufactures, must be stamped
oil importation - into the island, and pay a ^duty^djldiVte
percent. $ The fisheries, the betel nut, -and the manufacture, of
arrack are annually farmed out to the highest bidder of the
black merchants, and the revenue derived from them amounts
-to” a t least ^ 5 0 ,0 0 0 per annum. Erom pepper, cardamoms,
elephants, ivory, precious stones/ and a few other 'articles ibf
native produce, -such a& cocoa-nut oil, coya rope, &£.•-goverür
ment derives an annual revenue of about 800,000. Something
is also derived from a tax imposed on the rice imported
for the use of the troops. Out of this revenue the salaries
of the civil officers and the pay of. the troops are defrayed,
as well as the other incidental expences of the island,
such as the erection and repair of public works.
Onithe'fihttod^dtioriiofrne^iimptovementsrimoIlh^Qultivationi»
©f Htkei island^ theV©^blishpfefott^?f manufactiiMsl/rand s&bmconUj,
sequent? influx ;of wealth,' «hjCiiv nofc> td*da|b) -liouhted'j^tliat3 th e - re-
venues^pKsd^ in the*.* island difcself -;wili'/sboht^ek^g'e?d*: its,»oxpendi-^
tures||P®bBt;i'4Sl!^l3l'e'ia'd^'antage is- ^m t^ ^B e d ^ te e te d i from.'an.
improved, mod4;hf4Mxbtlom andscoflbction:,' severM
additions have alieady been made rcvenuui'tsu^UgiifH'* af^H
goveiai6reiNorth)ti^
I t must hbwfever; ’be ^bbl^Kydd^that> feh^^etkadvantage&i to'<thef
lteVemp; cannofjibey^^ectedivwithoul ajeoStisAlcrablei piovibii^fex-*
pdiicffitfiit the part, ofn-^vefrnmenti . An of|ptcltivafibn^
musts b'e natives.. Suck ad vantage v must aUoibe4hcfldtoufei
toifi&reign manufacturers- as,bwiJk inj&^e them: to< q u it. their» 0* 1/
obfintry for fftis island, By a well-timed liberality bi#the'part-
ofrgov^fenfrreft^, much may- speedily be^effeeted; 'anddmprowemenh
enctet beguiygoes' on o f its. own, accords with7 ie^elerattedij rapidity/x
The distucts of Tiincomake aaid Jafnapatam*.. doubled (their re'$4
venues: and receipts t^.'government^underithf^supefiinteMdanch o f'
colonel Champaghfe* and’ colonel\Barbut; VJhiieVat thmspafe?time*
every vyastiee-was ddne^to the nativeslhy. those' valuabitejofficers^.
• The natural® strength' of the isla]id,5bfi^#^lan/yhnd:iJihei-fewr
points ■. at whidwifc?tehm|bte’= safely^approaehedv. : seenutbi prdmisd/
it aygreat: degree of. seeurity; y e t repeated<-.dxpetiine&.!basashe!wn',
that ? they efref insufficient, without a, considerable - militaryKesta-,-
blj’shment; tbs protect It completely« against a-- powerful« or. 'am
enterprising^ enenij^a The force' formerly maintained >by the.
Dutch - omthesdsland consisted ©f.. ahoutvthfee; thousand Europeans
and. about two thousand Malay?.,s TopasseS, and native Cuhk
glese. These - were • dispersed.- in the various- strong, posts- around
the frlandy 'iiB,§uch a manner that no great-number could' readily,
3.B