Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-09-11
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON.
A Mountainous Country with Steadily In
crcasing Population.

A Mountainous Country with Steadily In
crcssing Population.
The island Of Ceylon is go miles in
length, l56 in breadth, and very noun
famous near the center, there being
mountains ranging between 5000 and
5000 feet high. ten of which are above
the latter limit. The highest 10
PidurutalaCe, 8, 200 feet Large tracts
of the island are still covered with
dense jungle, in which many wild ele-
phants are 10 be found; but the wanton
slaughter of these useful animals led
the government TO prohibit their de-
struction except under special per-
mission. OF late there have been
great progress and improvements IN
The means of internal communication.
There are good roadways, metaled and
craveled, and now l7S miles OF rail-
way and l67 miles OF canal, which
have done much TO promote the inter-
ests of the country. The population has
been steadily increasing, and now 1t
numbers 2.Sj0,O 900. There are Eu-
ropeans. Eurasians, and Burghers,
Sinhalese. Tamils, Moors, and few
Parsees, Afghans, Malays, and others.
The Sinhaiese inhabit the interior and
parts of the coast, and comprise near
iy 1000, 900 of the people, while the
Tamils occupy the northern portion OF
the island, and number about 6OO,OOO.
The Europeans are comparatively few
in number, being under 5000; but of
Eurasians and Burghers there are
nearly $4,000. There are $50 Moor
men, who are to be found in large
numbers all over the different pro-
yinces. The postal service through
out the island is in a very satisfactory
state. Scarce a town or village but
boasts of a postoffice, and ere long
thew are to have added to them the
all-importrnt savings bank. which does
70 much to influence thrift and econ
umv. The island has many institutions
Tor 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 general
lyspoken, and particularly among the
domestic class. The products OF the
country are very varied and consist OF
rice, cinnamon, cocoanut, paints,
tobacco, sugar-cane, and cotton, and
latterly coffee, clnchona, india rubber,
and tea have been added. The land is
admirably adapted for the growth of
rice. The cultivation of cocosnuts
has been gradually increasing, and,
though large quantity is exported, a
large trade is done in the coir fiber
from the husk and in expressed oil
from the kernel of the nut. The Guilt
walton extends nearly all along the
west part of the island. The great
planting industry, however, is now
coffee and tea. For many years, dur
ING the occupation of the Dutch in
l74O. the cultivation of coffee was con-
fined 10 the Iow-lying country, but it
was not until the occupation by the
British, when communication between
the hill country aud the coast was
made, that it began to flourish, and
since then it has been gradually ex-
tending all over the central and west
provinces. The opening of the rail-
way between Handy and Colombo did
much to stimulate the industry by
supplying cheap free labor and great
ar facilities for the market. Large
quantities of jungle were cleared and
planted, and everything seemed to in
sure u permanent good investment,
but an enemy appeared in the field
who began his devastation and has
continued steadily to diminish the pro.
dnctive power ever since till he has
reduced the exports to less than fifth
of what they were. The enemy is a
minute fungus on the leaf called HEM.
lena rastGtrir. 1t appeared in a remote
corner of one of the young coffee gar
dens. The leaves assumed \ bright
orange spot, and then they withered
and decayed. The consequences of
such failure, following on the invest
ment Of a number of planters in the
high districts, led to the most serious
consequences and ruin. These losses
convinced many that the climate and
character OF the soil were admirably
adapted for the cultivation of tea, and
the result has been that thousands OF
hcres under coffee cultivation have
now been changed to tea, and the Jun.
gle is being cleared for the extension
IF the cultivation of that plant Cor.
Glasgow Herald.