The dye-root is a product found in this territory which yields the Company a considerable profit. The best kinds are found in Carrediva, but the largest quantity in Manaar. The other kinds, found in the Wanni and The Islands, are so inferior that they cannot be used for dyeing unless they are mixed with the kinds obtained from Manaar and Carrediva, and are found in small quantities only. The inferior kinds are used in this way so that they may not be lost, because it is to be feared that there will be a greater scarcity of root than of cloth. I will not enter into detail here as to how, by whom, where, and when these roots are dug out, or how they are employed in the dyeing of cloth, or again how much is received yearly; as all these matters have been mentioned at length on other occasions, making it unnecessary to do so here. I therefore refer Your Honours to an account by the late Commandeur Blom, dated April 25, 1693, with regard to the cultivation and digging of this root, and another by the same Commandeur of November 12 of the same year with regard to the dyeing of red cloth and the use of dye-root, while Your Honours might also look up the document sent to Colombo on December 29, 1694, by Your Honours and myself, and another of September 16, 1695, where an estimate is made of the quantity of cloth that could be dyed here yearly with the root found in this Commandement. An answer will also be found there to the question raised by the Honourable the Supreme Government of India in their letter to Ceylon of December 12, 1695, as to whether the dye-roots found in Java costing Rds. 5 the picol [38] of 125 lb. and sent here might be employed with profit in the service of the Company, and whether these roots from Java could not with advantage be planted here. The reply from Colombo of January 6, 1696, in answer to our letter of September 16, 1695, must also be considered, in order that Your Honours may bear in mind all the arguments that have been urged on this subject. Experiments have been made with the Java roots to see whether they could be turned to any account, and with a view to compare them with the Jaffna roots. It seems to me that good results may be obtained from the Brancoedoe roots, according to the experiments made by myself and afterwards by a Committee in compliance with the orders of Their Excellencies, but as we cannot be quite sure yet another quantity of Java roots for further experiments has been sent, as stated in the letter from Batavia of July 3, 1696. Your Honours must pay great attention to these experiments, so that the result may be definitely known. This was prevented so far by the rainy season. Besides the above-mentioned documents, Your Honours will also find useful information on the subject in two reports submitted by a Committee bearing date July 29 and December 10, 1695. Experiments must also be made to find out whether the Wancoedoe roots used either alone or mixed with the Jaffna roots will