bouring heights Adam’s Peak ‘is, very plainly seen, and several
o f in th e mteribi|fpFisheriès ttfoa Jtréty- considerabl e exr
iteïit areT ëairied.-^ön iihfirer':aridv indeed formthe Ghfef Bfanoli
| | i its ttdffie. A vast number; o f Alala-ys and natives are [employed
In catching,'earing, and drying th e ! fish prepare it
for importation to different parts of 4he: «onjti^ent »of India.
tA track, oil,. pepper; sêbtton, and cafdamom$; a lso fprm> parhof
’ttsi exports. Cinnamon is: alSo grown .'here,/; but ;pot. in I such
Quantity, as abour Colnmbo : in qbality; it?4i ^tnneh thj^-^i^d.
0 ne !tjf /the* India»!ships to u c te here annually, eitherjvJjeféjre pr
•alter she* lias taker! in part of her Cargo at* Cioluinboa
j@ff- what binhabaon is prepared for sexportatfopf; |
thei^ónfhward; lies Brllxgamme4 on ,a
bay'formed by an- indent of the sbfLsfe; Ikiés,«ï^ucdi£:;'1nhabjted
by fishërfoen ; whose'ihonses are yfery ple»sa.mtly situated ajpong
a number o f cocoa^tree topes .which|highly ^en|b@lhsh the face
Of « th e 1 Country.
Thirty miles onward from Point|de Gallo lies Matura, a. captain’s
command. The fort and vi llage .are both small; the country
round is -exceedingly wild, but \yell supplied with provisions.-of
all sorts; and game, in particular, is here found in great. abundance.
The house for the commandant is tolerably good) com-
viently arid agreeably situated near theriver,, • which; is yprpad
-here; èmd runs into thCi sea1 at; ;a :Stmall dista-nediy Although, phis
fort is within the district K)fojGplnnibp,0.53|e t ,itj ;isjipnly su b le t
to 1 the orders of .the governor-general; and tjhejsame is the* case
With Calfcura, Nigumbo, and Manaar.
The* cotmtey around Matura - abounds ,with elephants,; and ft
is here- that they arfe principally caught for exportation. Every
three owfour years -the elephant is .hunted here,> by order of government.
In 1-797 d t oneiof lh^si|hunts, a hundred ând>seventyîf
six were- catfght^fi the grekte&t -Mumber evef - rerhfem^ercd to /have'
been taken* at one time. ■’
Matura nearly» aift*tile' southmost pqmtftgf Ge-|&0iV'; and
owfthg. toihht^nât-ufe^of^ ttel^ountry^ to- the* eastward,- nlWather.
Eh ropean-^sêtll'erïieBt Wecuteiftll we eon» ..to Batafekpak-'the vdis-
♦tancefpf-one hundred and ‘twenty-Jnilfesi; Æheiçounhip f Which diè$
between thesë: two placed présents tlie wildest appearance-. Few
of th e /CiCglèse "haW&tlffie- pit'repidi.ty*>'tq inhabit/-those parts,
wKhfce* lia^-'a-rc in fccfifstaflh/dangi-r' ; of being . attacked iby*4he
n tuberous' -wild/bea&ts/of -different* descriptions |by.Ulrich - this»
quarter istfesd'* thacb*infested. AStr-angerq, who are unacquainted
with the coufttryftl&ndr- the ^methods ofoavpiding- ^te-terribll^in-
mates; ârëW very*1 unwillingrfto travel through* ar?&apt ^where.-sp
many accidents oc<m&W; .Those- who iare;,obliged, by/^usiness .tp*
go from/Cblumbo to -Batâcplo prpfer going-by sea f jor^'/if; the
season", be' Unfavourable; • Æhbÿfi rather' take "phe, » câfdiqtous- *rohte*
by th% west* "and north-west coaStb of the island ithafo proceed
by this wild and unfrequented tract; where; besides rtbe-»danH
ger- arising from elephants;Ï1 bufl&loes; Éand ;^ th er »»-wild, ‘bbasts,
they run -a continual risk of falling in with the-; s&vage ' Bedahs,
Who inhabit the woods here * às well as in th é neighbourhood, of
Jafirapatam. 1 ft
- Dondre Head, r t h e -mdst southern* point o f , Ceÿlopj. is.-about
four miles from Matura-; it is - called by : the nativeS' DewuHiim,
Dewuttder Head, or Divi-noori -Three miies from Matura,! 'the
road;'passing along théi - Sea-bcach formed 'by- tlie * promontory to
the easfcyyou'aSCend a height5 cohered/ With'?topes;ofAç<^aitrèeà?
Here stasadg a/Gi®gleSe\ftir^lbfbf # citbiflar ■ shape, /ilhoht opp'
hundred and fifty feet*in cireurnfereriee ahd twelve ^feet high/
X