Adenanthera is a genus of trees and shrubs native to the East Indies and Ceylon of the family Leguminosae. Adenanthera pavonina is one of the largest and most handsome trees of India, and yields hard solid timber called red sandal-wood. The bright scarlet seeds, from their equality in weight (each weighing four grains), are used by goldsmiths in the East as weights. Research Adenanthera
Cinnamon is a species of laurel (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), which is chiefly found in Sri Lanka, but grows also in Malabar and other parts of the East Indies. The tree attains the height of about nine meters, has oval leaves, pale-yellow flowers, and acorn-shaped fruit. The Ceylonese bark their trees in April and November, the barkcurling up into rolls or quills in the process of drying; the smaller quills being introduced into the larger ones. These are then assorted according to quality by tasters, and made up into bundles. An oil of cinnamon is prepared in Sri Lanka, but the oil of cassia is generally substituted for it; indeed, the cassiabark is often substituted for cinnamon, to which it has some resemblance, although in its qualities it is much weaker. The leaves, the fruit, and the root of the cinnamon plant all yield oil of considerable value; that from the fruit, being highly fragrant and of thick consistence, was formerly made into candles for the sole use of the King of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Research Cinnamon
Affonso de Albuquerque was a Portuguese admiral. He was born in 1452 and died in 1515. He was viceroy of Portuguese West Africa in 1503. Portugal having subjected to its power a large part of the western coast of Africa, and begun to extend its sway in the East Indies, Affonso de Albuquerque was appointed viceroy of the Portuguese acquisitions in this quarter, and arrived in 1503 with a fleet on the coast of Malabar. His career here was extremely successful, he having extended the Portuguese power over Malabar, Ceylon, the Sunda Islands, and the Peninsula of Malacca, and made the Portuguese name respected by all the nations and princes of India. Notwithstanding his services and his virtues, he was unjustly superseded in his commands, and so severely did he feel, that he died a few days later. Research Affonso de Albuquerque
Alfonso de Albuquerque was a Portuguese navigator. He was born in 1453 and died in 1515. He was appointed viceroy of the Portuguese Indies in 1509 and established Portuguese control by taking Goa and Malabar in 1510 and the coast of Ceylon and Malacca in 1511. Research Alfonso de Albuquerque
Si Samuel White Baker was an English traveller. He was born in 1821 and died in 1893. He resided some years in Sri Lanka; in 1861 began his African travels, which lasted several years, in the Upper Nile regions, and resulted, among other discoveries, in that of Albert Nyanzalake in 1864, and of the exit of the White Nile from it. In Africa he encountered Speke and Grant after their discovery of the Victoria Nyanza. On his return home he was received with great honour and was knighted. In 1869 he returned to Africa as head of an expedition sent by the Khedive of Egypt to annex and open up to trade a large part of the newly explored country, being raised to the dignity of pasha. He returned in 1873, having finished his work, and was succeeded by the celebrated Gordon. Since then he travelled much. His writings include: The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon ; Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon; The Albert Nyanza, etc; The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia; Ismailia: a Narrative of the Expedition to Central Africa; Cyprus as I saw it in 1879; also, Cast up by the Sea, a story published in 1869. Research Samuel Baker
HMS Ceylon was a British cruiser of the Uganda Class (formerly Fiji Class) of 8000 tons displacement launched in 1940. She carried a peace time complement of 730 and a wartime complement of 950. Four Admiralty 3-drum type boilers provided a top speed of 31.5 knots. Armaments consisted of nine 6-inch guns; ten 4-inch anti-aircraft guns; 40 mm anti-aircraft guns; 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and six 21-inch torpedo tubes. Research Ceylon
Kandy is a town in the highlands of central Sri Lanka, containing one of the most sacred Buddhist shrines.
Kandy is a former independent kingdom in Ceylon. The town of Kandy was its capital from 1480 to 1815. Research Kandy
The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon, before that Serendip and in ancient times Taprobane) is an island country south of India in the Indian Ocean with a total area of 65,610 km2. The climate is tropical monsoon with a north-east monsoon from December to March and a south-west monsoon from June to October. The terrain is mostly low, flat to rolling plain with mountains in the south-central interior. Natural resources are limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates and clay. The religion is 69% Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 8% Christian, 8% Muslim. The official language is Sinhalese with Tamil and English also spoken.
The island of Sri Lanka was originally inhabited by the Vedda who were invaded around 550 BC by Sinhalese from India. Europeans conquered the island around the 17th century and was named Ceylon by the Portuguese invaders. In 1796 the island passed from Portuguese to British control and in 1948 Ceylon achieved independence and in 1972 changed its name to Sri Lanka. Research Sri Lanka
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Adenanthera
