Tennent's Ceylon - 1860

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

PART I.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

CHAPTER I.

GEOLOGY.—MINERALOGY.—GEMS.

• I. General Aspect.
• • Singular beauty of the island 3
  • Its ancient renown in consequence 4
  • Fable of its "perfumed winds" (note) 4
  • Character of the scenery 5
• II. Geographical Position 6
• • Ancient views regarding it amongst the Hindus,—"the Meridian of Lanka" 6
  • Buddhist traditions of former submersions (note) 7
  • Errors as to the dimensions of Ceylon 8
  • Opinions of Onesicritus, Eratosthenes, Strabo, Pliny, Ptolemy, Agathemerus 8, 9
  • The Arabian geographers 9
  • Sumatra supposed to be Ceylon (note) 10
  • True latitude and longitude 11
  • General Eraser's map of Ceylon (note) 11
  • Geological formation 12
  • Adam's Bridge 13
  • Error of supposing Ceylon to be a detached fragment of India 14
• III. The Mountain System 14
• • Remarkable hills, Mihintala and Sigiri 15
  • Little evidence of volcanic action 16
  • Rocks, gneiss 16
  • Rock temples 17
  • Laterite or "Cabook" 17
  • Ancient name Tamba-panni (note) 17
  • Coral formation 19
  • Extraordinary wells 21
  • Darwin's theory of coral wells examined (note) 22
  • The soil of Ceylon generally poor 24
  • "Patenas," their phenomena obscure 24
  • Rice lands between the hills 26
  • Soil of the plains, "Talawas" 27
• IV. Metals.—Tin 29
• • Gold, nickel, cobalt 29
  • Quicksilver (note) 29
  • Iron 30
• V. Minerals.—Anthracite, plumbago, kaolin, nitre caves 31
• • List of Ceylon minerals (note) 32
• VI. Gems, ancient fame of 32
• • Rose-coloured quartz (note) 33
  • Mode of searching for gems 34
  • Rubies 34
  • Sapphire, topaz, garnet, and cinnamon stone, cat's-eye, amethyst, moonstone 37 , 38
  • Diamond not found in Ceylon (note) 38
  • Gem-finders and lapidaries 39
• VII. Rivers.—Their character 40
• • The Mahawelli-ganga 41
  • Table of the rivers 41
• VIII. Singular coast formation, and its causes 43
• • The currents and their influence 44
  • Word "Gobb" explained (note) 46
  • Vegetation of the sand formations 48
  • Their suitability for the coconut 51
• IX. Harbours.—Galle and Trincomalie 52
• • Tides 52
  • Red infusoria 53
  • Population of Ceylon 53

CHAP. II.

CLIMATE.—HEALTH AND DISEASE.

• Uniformity of temperature 54
• Brilliancy of foliage 56
• Colombo.—January—long shore wind 56
• February—cold nights (note) 57
• March, April 58
• May—S.W. monsoon 58
• • Aspect of the country before it 59
  • Lightning 60
  • Rain, its violence 61
• June 62
• July and August, September, October, November. N.E. monsoon 63
• December 64
• Annual quantity of rain in Ceylon and Hindustan (note) 65
• Opposite climates of the same mountain 66
• Climate of Galle 67
• Kandy and its climate 67
• • Mists and hail 69
• Climate of Trincomalie (text and note) 70
• Jaffna and its climate 71
• Waterspouts 72
• Anthelia 73
• Buddha rays 73
• Ceylon as a sanatarium.—Neuera-ellia 74
• • Health 75
  • Malaria 75
  • Food and wine 76 , 77
  • Effects of the climate of Ceylon on disease 79
  • Precautions for health 80

CHAP. III

VEGETATION.—TREES AND PLANTS.

• The Flora of Ceylon imperfectly known 83
• Vegetation similar to that of India and the Eastern Archipelago 84
• Trees of the sea-borde.—Mangroves—Screw-pines, Sonneratia 85
• The Northern Plains.—Euphorbiæ Cassia.—Mustard-tree of Scripture 87
• Western coast.—Luxurious vegetation 87
• Eastern coast 88
• Pitcher plant.—Orchids 88
• Vines 89
• Botany of the Mountains.—Iron-wood, Bamboo, European fruit-trees 90
• • Tea-plant—Rhododendron—Mickelia 90
  • Rapid disappearance of dead trees in the forests 91
  • Trees with natural buttresses 91
• Flowering Trees.—Coral tree 92
• • The Murutu—Imbul—Cotton tree—Champac 93
  • The Upas Tree—Poisons of Ceylon 95
  • The Banyan 95
  • The Sacred Bo-tree 97
  • The India Rubber-tree—The Snake-tree 98
  • Kumbuk-tree: lime in its bark 99
• Curious Seeds.—The Dorian, Sterculia foetida 100
  • The Sea Pomegranate 100
  • Strychnos, curious belief as to its poison 101
• Euphorbia—The Cow-tree, error regarding (note) 101
• Climbing plants, Epiphytes, and flowering creepers 102
• Orchids—Brilliant terrestrial orchid, the Wanna-raja.—Square-stemmed Vine 103
• Gigantic climbing Plants 104
  • Enormous bean 105
  • Bonduc seeds.—Ratans—Ratan bridges 106
• Thorny Trees.—Raised as a natural fortification by the Kandyans 107
  • The buffalo thorn, Acacia tomentosa 108
• Palms 109
  • Coco-nut—Talipat 110
  • Palmyra 111
  • Jaggery Palm—Arcea Palm 112
• Betel-chewing, its theory and uses 112
  • Pingos 114
• Timber Trees 115
  • Jakwood—Del—Teak 116
  • Suria 117
• Cabinet Woods.—Satin-wood—Ebony—Cadooberia 117
• • Calamander, its rarity and beauty 118
  • Tamarind 119
• Fruit-trees 119
• • Remarkable power of trees to generate cold and keep their fruit chill 121
• Aquatic Plants—Lotus, red and blue 123
• • Desmanthus natans, an aquatic sensitive plant 123