Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-08-13
THE ISLAND OF CEYL0N.
A Noun taInOus Country with a Stead
lily Increasing Population.

A Noun taInOus Country with a Stead
lily Increasing Population.
The island of Ceylon is 270 miles in
length, 1876 in breadth, and very
mountainous near the center, there
being mountains ranging between
5000 and z, 600 feet high, ten of which
are above the latter limit The high
est is Pidurutalage, 8, 596 feet. Large
tracts Of the island are still covered
with dense jungle, in which many
wild elephants are 10 be found ;
but the wlngoa slaugh ter OF these
useful animals led the government 10
prohibit their destruction except un.
der special permission. OF late there
have been great progress and improv-
ments IN the Internal communica
ton. There are good road ways. metal
ed and graveled, aud now IT'S miles
of railway and 1877 miles of canal.
which have done much to promote
the interests of the country. The
population has been steadily increas-
ing, and now num bers 2 $50 600.
There are Europeans, Eurasians, and
Burghers, Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors,
and a few Parsees, Afghans, Malays,
and others The Sinhalese inhabit
the interior and parts of the coast,
and comprise nearly 1000, 600 of the
people, while the Tamils occupy the
northern portion of the island, and
number about 900 900. The Europe
ans are comparatively few in number
being under 600; but of Earasiaus
aud Burghers there are nearly $4,000.
There are 100000 Moormen, who are
to be found in large numbers all over
the different provinces. Tae postal
service throughout the island is in a
very satisfactory state. Scarce a
town or village but boasts OF post
Office, and ere long they are TO have
added to them the all important saw
ings bank, which does so much to in
Huence thrift and economy. The is
land has many Institutions for the
sick and the diseased in body and
mind, and in education the people
are far in advance Of their northern
neighbors. English is pretty geper~
ally spoken, and particularly among
the domestic class. The products Of
the country are very varied, and con,
SIS Of rice, cinnamon, cocOanut,
paints, tobacco, sugar>cane, and cots
ton, and latterly coffee. cinchona. IN
dia rubber, and tea have been added.
The land is admirably adapted for the
growth of rice. the cultivation Of
cocoanuts has been gradually increas-
ing, and, though large quantity is
exported, large trade is done in the
COR fiber from the husk and in ex,
pressed oil from the kernel of the nut.
The cultivation extends nearly all
along the west part Of the island. The
great planting industry, however, is
now coffee and tea For many years
during the occupation of the Dutch in
l740, the cultivation Of coffee was
confined to the low lying country, but
it was not until the occupation OF the
country by the British, when
communication between the hill
country and the coast was
made, that it began to -four.
ISL, and since then mas been gradually
extending all over the central and
western provinces. The opening of
the railway between Handy and Col
ombo did much to stimulate the in
dustry by supplying cheap labor and
greater facilities for the market. Large
quantities of Jungle were cleared aud
planted, and everything seemed to in
sure permanent good investment,
but an enemy appeared in the field
which began devastation and has con-
tinued steadily to diminish the pro
ductive power ever since till he has
reduced the exports to less than a fifth
of what they were. The enemy is o
minute fungus on the leaf called
Hemilei0 Cdst0trir. 1t appeared in
a remote corner of one of the young
coffee districts and spread with the
greatest rapidly all over the coffee
gardens. The leaves assumed a bright
orange spot and then they withered
and decayed. The consequences of
such failure, following on the in
vestment of a number of planters in
the high districts. led to the most ser.
ious consequences and ruin. These
losses convinced many that the elm
ate aud character OF the soil was adj
mirably adapted for the cultivation of
tea, and the result has been that thou
sands of acres uAder coffee cultivation /
have now been changed to tea, and
the jungle is being cleared for the ex-
tension Of the cultivation of that
plant
Die Lewis in his new monthly pub
1 II