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ACCOUNT OF THE CINNAMON TREE.

THE fuperfine cinnamon is known these characteristics, the coarfer and less by the following properties, viz. in the ferviceable it is esteemed; as for inftance, og first place, it is thin, and rather pliable; in the first place, if it be hard and as it ought commonly to be about the fub- thick as a half-crown piece; fecondly, ftance of royal paper, or fomewhat if it be very dark or brown : thirdly, if it thicker. Secondly, it is of a light be very pungent and hot upon the tongue, colour, and rather inclinable to yellow, with a taste bordering upon that of bordering but little upon the brown, cloves, fo that one cannot fuffer it withThirdly, it poffeffes a sweetish taste, out pain, and fo that the mucus upon and at the fame time is not stronger the tongue is confumed by it, when one than can be born without pain, and is makes feveral trials of it: fourthly, if it not fucceeded by any after-taste. has any after-taste, fuch as to be harsh, The more the cinnamon departs from bitter, or mucilaginous. VOL, LVIII.

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Such

Such are the forts of cinnamon, when ing. This is likewife a variety of the they are felected from the store-houses, Laurus Cinnamomum. and forted for exportation; but the barkers, who examine the cinnamon trees in the woods, and ftrip off the bark, fpeak of more, and different forts of cinnamon, the leaves of which, in their external appearence, bear fome refemblance to each other, and are not all used indifcriminately for barking, but are picked and pointed out by thofe that are judges of the matter. Thefe cinnamon-barkers are called in the Cingalefe language Schjalias.

6. Dawul Curundu, that is flat, or board Cinnamon ; which name it bears, because the bark, in drying, does not roll itself up together, but remains flat. This fort is from the Laurus Caffia.

The forts of cinnamon which the Schjalias reckon, are the following ten: 1. Rafe Curundu, or Penni Curundu, i. e. Honey-Cinnamon, which is the best and most agreeable, and has large, broad, and thick leaves.

2. Nai Curundu, or Snake-Cinnamon (Slange Cauel), which approaches neareft to the former, in deliciousness of flavour, (altough it does not abfolutely arrive at the fame degree) and has alfo large leaves.

3. Capuru Curundu, or CamphorCinnamon; this fort is only to be found in the King's lands, and from its root camphor is diftilled.

4. Cabatte Curundu, that is, aftringent or auftere Cinnamon; it has rather fmaller leaves than the former forts. Thefe four forts, which are altogether from one and the same species of Laurus Cinnamomum, are nothing more than varieties, nearly refembling each other, which are distinguished by the Schjalias merely by the tafte, and are the only ones, which ought to be barked, and indeed can be barked, for good cinna

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7. Nica Curundu, i. e. Cinnamon with leaves which refemble the Nicacol, or Vitex negundo, viz. in being lanceolate, or longand narrow. This feems to be a variety of the Laurus Camphora

Befides thefe feven forts, they yet reckon three more, which obviously differ from the genuine Cinnamon. And indeed one may immediately fee, that they can in no wife with juftice be reckoned among the cinnamon trees. Of thefe I have feen one fort only, viz.⠀ the Thorn Cinnamon: the other forts are very rare, and are found only in the Emperor's domains.

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8. Catura Curundu, i. e. Thorn-: Cinnamon (Doru Canel): this is of quite different genus from the Laurus, and the bark has not the least taste of Cinnamon. The leaves bear no femblance to the Laurus, and the branches have thorns (pina) upon them.

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9. Mal Curundu, or Bloom-Cinnamon, and

10. Tempat Curundu, i. e. TrefoilCinnamon : becaufe the leaves are faid to divide towards the top into three laciniæ.

Cinnamon is barked in the woods at two different feafons of the year. The firft is termed the Grand Harvest, and lafts from April to Auguft; the fecond is the Small Harveft, and lafts from November to the month of January.

It is in the woods on the Company's own domains, that the Sehjalias feek and peel the cinnamon bark; although it fometimes happens that they steal into the Emperor's woods, and at times go as far as within half a league of Candi, in order to fetch it; but if they chance in the latter cafe to be discovered and taken, they must expect to have their nofe and ears cut off.

Each diftri&t or hamlet in the Company's

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pany's dominions, is bound to bark and divided among feveral. The Schjalias furnish yearly a certain ftated quantity afterwards deliver the cinnamon into of cinnamon; whereas the Cingalefe ftore-houses, erected in several places by there have a certain portion of land the Company for that purpofe, whither rent-free, to cultivate and inhabit, with it is either carried by porters, or, where other privileges. Over a certain num- there are any rivers, tranfported by ber of Schjalias are placed other fuperior boats. Each bundle is at this time officers, who have the infpection over bound round with three flender rattans, them and the cinnamon, and are like- and weighs about thirty pounds. In wife authorized to punish small offences. the fore-houses these bundles are laid Over all together is placed a European, up in heaps, a feparate heap for each who is called their Captain (Hoofd der village, and covered with baften mats. Mahabadde), or frequently in common difcourfe, Captain Cinnamon, who receives and is anfwerable to the Company for all the cinnamon. He is likewife vefted with authority to try and punifh offences of a deeper die.

The barking of cinnamon is performed in the following manner: Fift, a good cinnamon tree is looked out for, and chofen by the leaves and other characteristics: thofe branches which are three years old are lopped off with a common crooked pruning knife. Secondly, from the twigs that have been lopped off, the outfide pellicle (pridermis) of the bark is fcraped off with another knife, which is convex on one edge, and concave on the other, with a fharp point at the end, and fharp at both edges. Thirdly, After the bark has been fcraped, the twigs are ripped up longways with the point of the knife, and the bark gradually loofened from them with the convex edge of the knife till it can be entirely taken off. Fourthly, the bark being peeled off, is gathered up together, feveral fmaller tubs or quills of it are inferted into the larger, and thus fpread out to dry, when the bark of its own accord rolls it felf up ftill clofer together, and is then tied up in bundles, and finally carried off. All these offices are not perform ed by one fingle man, but the labour is

When the fhips are afterwards ready to take in their lading of cinnamon, it is packed up, after having previously undergone an examination. Each

bundle is then made nearly of the length of four feet, and is weighed off to eightyfive pounds neat: although it is afterwards marked and reckoned for only eighty pounds; fo that five pounds are allowed for lofs by drying during the voyage. Subfequently to its being well fecured and tied hard round with cords, the bundle is afterwards fewed up in two facks, the one with the other, on which latter are marked its weight and the place where it was packed up. Thefe facks ought not to be made of fail-cloth, or linen, but of wool, or fuch as in India bear the name of Gunjesakken, from which the cinnamon receives no injury in the tranfportation,

From the ftore-houses the facks of cinnamon are carried to the hips, and after they have been ftowed in there with other goods, loose black pepper is fprinkled over them, to fill up every hole and interftice. The pepper, which is of a dry and hot quality, attracts to itself, during the voyage, the moisture of the cinnamon, and has been found, by thefe means, not only to preferve the cinnamon in its original goodness, but even to increase the strength.

From Thunberg's Travels,

AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

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"DURING the course of the fifteenth century, mankind made a greater progrefs in exploring the state of the habi

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moved within a very narrow fphere, and ter him from profecuting his enterprize. made its efforts with timidity and hefi- In recompence of his labours and pertation. Encouraged by fuccefs, it be- feverance, he at laft defcried that lofty came adventurous, and boldly extended promontory which bounds Africa on the its operations. In the courfe of its pro- fouth; but, to defcry it, was all that greffion, it continued to acquire vigour, he had in his power to accomplish. The and advanced, at length, with a rapi- violence of the winds, the shattered condity and force, that burst through all dition of his fhips, and the turbulent the limits within which ignorance and fpirit of his failors, compelled him to fear had hitherto circumfcribed the ac- return, after a voyage of fixteen months, i tivity of the human race. Almost fifty in which he discovered a far greater exyears were employed by the Portuguese tent of territory than any former navigain creeping along the coaft of Africa, tor. Diaz called this promontory Cabo from Cape Non, which is in 90° 40 Tormentofo, or The Stormy Cape; but north latitude (and which they doubled his fovereign, John II. as he now enin the year 1412) to Cape de Verd, tertained no doubt of having found the which lies only twelve degrees to the long-defired route to India, gave it a South of Cape Non. In less than thir- name more inviting, and of better omen, ty years, they ventured beyond the equi- The Cape of Good Hope. noctial line into another hemifphere, and penetrated to the fouthern extremity of Africa, at the distance of forty-nine degrees from Cape de Verd.

No advantage, however, was attempted to be made of this great difcovery, till the year 1497, when King Emmanuel, who inherited the enterprising geThe grand object which the Portu- nius of his predeceffors, revived their guese had in view, in their repeated ef- grand scheme of opening a paffage to the forts to extend their discoveries along East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope, the African fhore, was to find a direct and, foon after his acceffion to the route to India by fea. The discovery throne, equipped a fquadron for that of the Cape of Good Hope (which is important voyage. He gave the com-. the southern extremity of Africa, 34° mand of it to Vafco de Gama, a man 29 fouth of the equinoctial line) ac- of noble birth, poffeffed of virtue, prucomplished this important object, and dence, and courage, equal to the station. produced a fignal revolution in the com- His fquadron, like all thofe fitted out mercial tranfactions of the Europeans. for discovery, in the infancy of navigaThis great event took place in 1486. tion, was extremely feeble, confifting The conduct of the voyage for this pur- of three veffels only, of neither burden pofe (the most arduous and important nor force adequate to the fervice. As which the Portuguese had ever project- the Europeans were, at that time, but ed) was committed to Bartholomew little acquainted with the courfe of the Diaz; an officer, whofe fagacity, ex- trade winds, and periodical monfoons, perience, and fortitude, rendered him which render navigation in the Atlantic equal to the undertaking. He ftretched ocean, as well as in the fea that fepaboldly toward the fouth, and, proceed- rates Africa from India, at some seasons ing beyond the utmost limits to which eafy, and at others not only dangerous, his countrymen had hitherto advanced, but almoft impracticable, the time apdifcovered near a thousand miles of new pointed for Gama's departure was the country. Neither the danger to which moft improper of any during the whole he was expofed, by a fucceffion of vio- year. He fet fail from Lifbon on the lent tempefts in unknown feas, and by 9th of July 1497, and, ftanding toward the frequent mutinies of his crew, nor the fouth, had to struggle for four months the calamities of famine which he fuffer- with contrary winds, before he could ed from losing his store-fhip, could de reach the Cape of Good Hope. Here

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their violence began to abate; and, du- Notwithstanding the extenfive advanring an interval of calm weather, Gama tages which might have been supposed doubled that formidable promontory, to refult from the poffeffion of the Cape, which had fo long been the boundary of no great attention was paid to it by the navigation, and directed his courfe to- Portuguese, and although the Dutch, ward the north-east, along the African in 1600, began to trade there for procoaft. He touched at feveral ports, vifions, and erected a fort for their own and, after various adventures, which fafety, and the protection of their purthe Portuguese hiftorians relate with chafes, it was not till the year 1650, high, but just encomiums, on his cou- that a proper fettlement was formed. rage and intrepidity, he came to anchor Van Riebeck, furgeon of a fhip that had before the city of Melinda. Several touched at the Cape for the ufual pure veffels from India were then in that port. pofes, obferving the richness of the foil, Gama now purfued his voyage with al- the great plenty of cattle, the disposition most absolute certainty of fuccefs, and, of the natives, and the importance of under the conduct of a Mahometan pilot, the fituation and harbour, judged a fetarrived at Calicut, on the coast of Ma- tlement advisable, in order to facilitate, Jabar, on the 22d of May 1498; but, improve, and fecure the Eaft India trade. as he poffeffed neither fufficient force to attempt a fettlement, nor proper commodities with which to carry on commerce of any confequence, he haftened back to Portugal, and landed at Lifbon, on the 14th of September 1499.

Thomfon, defcribing the dreadful ftorms between the tropics, thus alludes to the name first given to the Cape by Diaz, and to the subsequent voyage of Gama :

With fuch mad feas the daring Gama

fought,

For many a day, and many a dreadful
night,

Inceffant, labouring round the Stormy
Cape;

By bold ambition led, and bolder thirst
Of gold. For then, from ancient gloom
emerg'd

The rifing world of trade: the genius,

then,

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Van Riebeck, on his return, laid before the Directors of the East India Company, what he had digested for the purpose. They concurred immediately with his views; ordered four ships to be equipped for the expedition; and appointed him Admiral and Governor in chief, with full powers to establish a fettlement, in the manner he should judge most expedient.

He arrived fafely at the Cape, and no fooner propofed, than concluded a treaty. The natives, delighted with the brafs toys, beads, tobacco, and brandy, which he prefented to them, agreed that the Dutch should have full liberty to fettle in the valley of Table Hill, upon the commodities, to the value of 50,000 delivery of a quantity of those toys and guilders. The Dutch immediately took poffeffion of the Cape, which was furrendered to them with great folemnity; a town, fort, warehoufes, an hospital, &c. were erected; and the colony, in a few years, rofe to be one of the most refpectable fettlements which the Dutch poffeffed in any part of the globe; meriting, in every respect, the praise it has received from the poet of the Fleece:

Mon'motapa's coaft Is feldom vifited; and the rough fhore Of Cafres, land of favage Hottentots, Whofe hands unnatural haften to the grave

Their

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