CEYLON    IN    1893.
 

                    CHAFTEK  I.



                      PAST HISTORY.



 The Ophir and Tarshish of Solomon—Northern and Southern Indian

    dynasties—Chinese invasion and  connection with  the island in

    ancient and modern  times—Portuguese  and Dutch rule—British

    annexation.

 T TAKE it for granted that the readers of this  work will

 •*-  have  some general  acquaintance with  the position,

 history, and condition of Ceylon.  It is the largest, most

 populous, and most important of her Britannic  Majesty's

 Crown colonies, which are so called because the adminis¬

 tration of their  affairs is under  the  direct control of the

 Colonial Office.

   Ceylon has long been

            " Confess'd  the best and brightest gem

             In Britain's orient diadem."

   There can  be  no  danger nowadays  of a  member of

Parliament getting up in  his  place to  protest against

British troops  being  stationed  in Ceylon on  account of

the deadly climate of "this part of West Africa," the

" utmost Indian isle " being then confounded with Sierra

Leone !

  Known to ancient voyagers as far back as the time of

King Solomon (of whose Ophir and Tarshish many believe

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