CEYLON.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1712, 1 April 1862, Page 6

CEYLON.

(From the Examiner > Feb. 17.) The weather during the fortnight is not undeserving of notice, having been not at all of the character usually ascribed to February. In the south of the islands the rains in Novembe r encouraged chena cultivation, but the succeed ing drought was so severe that the fields in the higher division of the Girroway Patioo had to be abandoned. In the Eastern Province there had been very heavy and seasonable rains. Fiona the Central Province the news at the commencement of the month spoke of very seasonable rains, but it had since continued very wef, the lower states seeming to benefit whilst in the upper states it was feared that too much rain could do harm. In the south of the island the drought following the rains was accompanied by unfavorable sanitary accounts. At Colombo, Private William Parker, of the 50th Regiment, had been found "Guilty" of stabbing a native, and sentenced to three years', imprisonment with hard labour. At Galle the late detection of a system of rice smuggling by Mr. Haliley, has led to several precautions on the part of the Customs, which will serve as an excellent check. The future importance of this cannot be too highly estimated, though it is impossible to credit the estimate lately put forth in one uf the local papers of the extent of rice smuggling in past years. In the Central Province the Kaudyan chiefs and head men had put on mourning for Prince Albeit before the rest of Her Majesty's subjects.