The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-11-07
THE ISLAND OF oEYLoN.
Mountainous Country with Steadily In
creasing Population.

Mountainous Country With a Steadily In.
creasing Population.
The island of Ceylon is two hundred
and seventy miles in leagth, one hun
dred and fifty-six in 9th, and very
mountainous near hecenter, there be-
ing mountains ranging between three
thousand and seven thousand feet
high, ten of which are above the latter
limit. The highest is Pidurutalage,
eight thousand two hundred and nine
ty-six feet. Large tracts of the island
are still covered with dense jungle, in
which many wild elephants are to be
found; but the wanton slaughter of
these useful animals led the Govern
ment to prohibit their destruction ex-
cept under special permission. Of late
there have been great progress and i'm
provements in the means of internal
communication. There are good road
ways, metaled and graveled, and now
one hundred and seventy-eight miles of
railway and one hundred and sixty
seven miles of canal, which have done
much to promote the interests of the
country. The population has been
steadily increasing, and now it num-
bers two million eight hundred and
fifty thousand. There are Europeans,
Eurasians and Burghers, Singalese,
Tamils, Moors, and few Parsees, AT
ghans. Malays and others. The Singa-
lese inhabit the interior and parts Of
the coast, and comprise nearly two
million of the people, while the Tamils
occupy the northern portion of the
island, and number about six hundred
thousand. The Europeans are COM
paratively few in number, being under
five thousand; but of Eurasians and
Burghers there are nearly eighteen
thousand. There are one hundred ano
eighty thousand Moormen, who are to
be found in large numbers all over the
different provinces. The postal ser
vice throughout the island is in very
satisfactory state. Scarcely town OF
village but boasts of post-office, anC
ere long they are to have added t.
them the all-important savings bank
which does so much to influence thrift
and economy. The island has man.
institutions for the sick and the dis
eased in body and mind, and in educa
ton the people are far in advance o
their northern neighbors. Englisl
is pretty generally spoken
aud particularly among the do
nestle class. The products o
the country are very varied, and con
sist of rice, cinnamon, cocoanuts
paints, tobacco, sugar-cane and cot
ton, and latterly coffee, cinchona, in
dia-rubher, and tea have been added
The land is admirably adapted for tn
growth of rice. The cultivation of CO
coanuts has been gradually increasing
and, though large quantity is ex
ported, a large trade is done in tn
coir fiber from the husk and in eX
pressed oil from the kernel of the nut
The cultivation extends nearly all alon
the west part of the island. The grea
planting industry, however, is no,
coffee and tea For many years, dun
ing the occupation of the Dutch in 174(
the cultivation of coffee was confine
to the low-lying country, but it wa
not until the occupation by the British
when communication between the hi
country and the coast was made, tha
il began to flourish, and since then
has been gradually extending all owe
the central and western provinces
The opening of the railway betwee
Handy and Colombo did much to stin
ulate the industry by supplying chea
free labor and greater facilities for tn
market. Large quantities of jung
were cleared and planted, and ever,
thing seemed to insure o permaner
good investment, but an enemy al
peared in the field who began his d.
vastation, and has continued steadil
to diminish the productive power eve
since till he has reduced the exports
less than a fifth of what they wer
The enemy is minute fungus on Il
leaf called Hem5teiG UaStatgiT. 1t a.
peared in a remote corner of one
the young coffee districts and spres
with the greatest rapidity all over Il
coffee gardens. The leaves assumed
bright orange spot, and then the
withered and decayed. The cons
quences of such failure, following {
the investment of number of plante
in the high districts, led to the mo
serious consequences and ruin. The
losses convinced many that the china
and character of the soil were ADM
ably adapted for the cultivation of tie
and the result has been that thousan
of acres under coffee cultivation ha'
: now been changed to tea, and Il
| jungle is being cleared for the exte
: : sion of the cultivation of that plant.
| Cor GLnSOo3D Her0Id