and that Mr. Dixon
could not find any of similar quality for the good reason that all the
best boulders [had been collected and used up for estate purposes.
There exists, however, a small bed of limestone not far away which runs
through native property, and which had the Superintendent of
Rangwelletenne (Mr. G. D. Brabazon) not been absent from the district,
he could readily have pointed out to Mr. Dixon. Altogether it is a pity
that the geologist's visit to the I district was* not made
known to proprietors generally beforehand. His attention could have
been directed to what is supposed to be the richest gemming land in the
district, near the Everton ridge, and also on Batakande from which,
last year, it is said, ,£9,000 of precious stones were sold, all taken
from an area not exceeding 2-1/2 acres! The old Everton pits which were
sunk to a depth of 120 feet had to be abandoned by C. M. llassana
Marikar, because he had no means of pumping out an accumulation of
water. It is very evident that there is room with modern appliances and
adequate capital for a Limited Company to develop a very profitable
Gem-digging industry in the Sabaragamuwa district.
