Accommodations had been bespoken by Lord Tremlyn, and early in the
afternoon the party were quartered in the Elphinstone. Carriages were
obtained, and before night they had visited the principal parts of the
town, and even the cinnamon gardens, in which they were greatly interested;
and some of the ladies told what it was good for, both as a spice and a
medicine.
"I suppose you know all about cinnamon, Mrs. Belgrave," said Sir Modava, as
they were looking at the trees.
"I only know enough about it to put it in my apple-pies when I make them."
"This island produces the finest article in the world. It is a very old
spice, mentioned in the Old Testament, though I forget the name by which it
is there called," added the Indian gentleman.
"But I did not suppose it grew on a tree; I had an idea it was a root."
"No; it is the inner bark of the trees before you. They are from twenty to
thirty feet high, and are sometimes a foot and a half through. But the
cultivated plant is not allowed to grow more than ten feet high. The leaves
average five inches long, and taste more like cloves than cinnamon. There
are two crops a year in Ceylon, the first in March, the last in November.
The bark is taken off with considerable labor and care, and when it dries
it curls up as you find your stick cinnamon."
"I used ground cinnamon," added the lady.
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