F CEYLON, of all races, was, in 1857, 1,697,975; but
this was exclusive of the military and their families, both Europeans
and Malays, which together amounted to 5,430; and also of aliens and
other casual strangers, forming about 25,000 more.

The particulars are as follow:--

|Provinces |Whites. |Coloured. |Total. |Population|
| |Males.|Females.|Males.|Females.|Males.|Females. | to the |
|sq. mile. |
|Western. |1,293|1,246|293,409|259,106|294,702|260,352 | 146.59 |
|N. Western | 21| 11|100,807| 96,386|100,828| 96,397 | 59.93 |
|Southern | 238| 241|156,900|149,649|157,138|149,890 | 143.72 |
|Eastern | 201| 143| 39,923| 35,531| 40,124| 35,674 | 16.08 |
|Northern | 387| 362|153,062|148,678|153,449|149,040 | 55.85 |
|Central | 468| 204|143,472|116,237|143,940|116,441 | 52.57 |
| |2,608|2,207|887,573|805,587|890,181|807,794 | 69.73 |

CHAP. II.

CLIMATE.--HEALTH AND DISEASE.

The climate of Ceylon, from its physical configuration and insular
detachment, contrasts favourably with that of the great Indian
peninsula. Owing to the moderate dimensions of the island, the elevation
of its mountains, the very short space during which the sun is passing
over it[1] in his regression from or approach to the solstices, and its
surrounding seas being nearly uniform in temperature, it is exempt from
the extremes of heating and cooling to which the neighbouring continent
of India is exposed. From the same causes it is subjected more uniformly
to the genial influences of the trade winds that blow over the Indian
Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.

[Footnote 1: In his approach to the northern solstice, the sun, having
passed the equator on the 21st of March, reaches the south of Ceylon
about the 5th of April, and ten days later is vertical over Point Pedro,
the northern extremity of the island. On his return he is again over
Point Pedro about the 27th of August, and passes southward over Dondera
Head about the 7th of September.]

The island is seldom visited by hurricanes[1], or swept by typhoons, and
the breeze, unlike the hot and arid winds of Coromandel and the Dekkan,
is always more or less refreshing. The range of the thermometer exhibits
no violent changes, and never indicates a temperature insupportably
high. The mean on an annual average scarcely exceeds 80 deg. at Colombo,
though in excep