POPULATION. umbellata of Linnæus, used for dyeing red, orange, and purple), Sapan wood and ivory, for the Indian and English markets, and the cultivation of cinnamon, pepper, cardamoms, tobacco, grain, ginger, cotton, silk, &c. &c. CHAPTER III. POPULATION WHITE AND COLOURED-CASTES-RELIGION CIVILIZATION, &c. THAT Ceylon was formerly extensively peopled is evident from the works and structures before alluded to, but it would appear the number of the inhabitants had been declining for the last four or five centuries. An increase has now commenced in the maritime provinces, which had, in 1814, mouths, 475,883; in 1824, 595,105; and, in 1832, 698,611. Colonel Colebrooke states in his report, that the population, in 1824, was, in the southern or Cingalese provinces, 399,408; in the northern or Malabar districts, 195,697; and in the interior or Kandyan provinces, 256,835; total, 852,940. The returns from the maritime provinces are doubtless correct, as the village registers of marriages, and births, and deaths are kept as punctually there as in England'; but having The coroner's inquests held in the maritime provinces for showed 148 deaths, of whom 38 fell from trees, into wells, 6 from bites of serpents, 1 natural, and among the myself traversed the Kandyan provinces more extensively perhaps than any European, I should think the estimate of their population is under rather than over the mark: it is to be feared, however, that the decreasing of the semi-barbarous inhabitants of this splendid region has scarcely reached its acme, perhaps it may now be considered stationary, as the comforts of the people are on the increase. A colonial office manuscript affords me a few corsecutive years of the aggregate population of the island: I derive 1831 and 1832 from the Ceylon Almanac. It appears singular that the number of slaves should be on the increase, although every child born of bond parents since 1812 has been born free, according to the generous determination of the slave owners. Census of the Maritime Districts of Ceylon, in 1814. Above the age of Children. Total Total Grand 156447 142453 95091 81892 251538 224345 475883 Population of Ceylon. (Colonial Office manuscript.) 18739 426387 10596 9868 497102 436255 301576 38302 31219 18062 434717 12394 10652 507832 445369 302254 38033 31273 439362 10501 10155 500975 449517 306821 39593 36127 20993 462621 11373 11616 524052 474237 304095 26390 47710 18705 ... I should think these years embrace only the maritime provinces. Dr. Davy estimated the population of the Kandyan districts, in 1819, at 300,000-a number, I should think, from my own knowledge of the country, rather too high; but it is perhaps difficult to say whether the population be increasing or decreasing in the interior. Maritime Provinces. Commerce. Births. The following, in some respects complete, view of thinly the island is peopled, there not being in some mile! The average for the maritime districts is 66, whole island but forty. Census taken in the year 1832 of the population of Grand total......... 24664 3213 3154 509466 459467 11373 11616 Population of |