s, except the two last. While the Portuguese had possession, they
built abundance of forts for their security, so that the Dutch found
it a difficult matter to dislodge them; but having contracted a secret
treaty with the king of Candy, the Portuguese were attacked on all
sides, by sea and land, and were driven by degrees out of all their
possessions. Since then, the Dutch have taken much pains to cultivate
a good understanding with that native sovereign, from whom they have
obtained almost every thing they demanded. They send every year an
ambassador to him with various presents; in return for which his
Candian majesty sends to the company a casket of jewels, of such value
that the ship which carries it home is reckoned to be worth half the
fleet.

Punta de Galle and Columbo are the two principal places in the
island, the latter being the residence of the governor, and the other,
properly speaking, is only the port of that city. Though extremely
hot, the air of Ceylon is reckoned healthy, and the country abounds
with excellent fruits of many kinds. The sea and the rivers afford
plenty of various kinds of fish. There are also on the land great
abundance of fowls, both wild and tame, and many wild animals,
particularly elephants that are larger than any other country in Asia,
also tygers, bears, civet cats, monkeys, and others. _Cinnamon_ is the
production for which this island is peculiarly famous, as that which
is procured here is estimated far superior to any other. The Dutch
East India Company have the entire monopoly not only of this, but of
all the other spices, with which they supply all parts of the world.
Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tree resembling the orange, the
flowers of which very much resemble those of the laurel both in size
and figure. There are three sorts of cinnamon. The finest is taken
from young trees; a coarser sort from the old ones; and the third is
the _wild cinnamon_, or cassia, which grows not only in Ceylon, but
in Malabar and China, and of late years in Brazil. The company also
derives great profit from an essential oil drawn from cinnamon, which
sells at a high price; and it also makes considerable gain by the
precious stones found in this island, being rubies, white and blue
sapphires, topazes, and others.

Off the coast of this island, at Manaar and Tutecorin, there is a fine
pearl fishery, which brings in a large revenue, being let twice a-year
in farm to certain black merchants. T