Ceylon, Physical, Historical and Topographical

Its aspect, its religion, its antiquities, and productions, have been described as well by the classic Greeks, as by those of the Lower Empire; by the Romans; by the writers of China, Burmah, India, and Kashmir; by the geographers of Arabia and Persia; by the medieval voyagers of Italy and France; by the annalists of Portugal and Spain; by the merchant adventurers of Holland, and by the travellers and topographers of Great Britain.

Thus for almost every particular and fact, whether physical or historical, I have been to a great extent thrown on my own researches; and obliged to seek for information in original sources, and in French and English versions of Oriental authorities.

Others were Dr. Cameron, of the Army Medical Staff (as was Templeton), Dr. Davy "when connected with the medical staff of the army from 1816 to 1820", William Ferguson, Esq., employed by the Survey Department of the Civil Service in Ceylon and a botanist, George Gardner and George Henry Kendrick Thwaites of the Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya, Edward Frederick Kelaart Edgar Leopold Layard as well as from officers of the Ceylon Civil Service; the Hon.

Outside Ceylon Tennent thanks Roderick Murchison "without committing himself as to the controversial portions of the chapter on the Geology and Mineralogy of Ceylon) has done me the favour to offer some valuable suggestions, and to express his opinion as to the general accuracy of the whole", Joseph Dalton Hooker "And I have been permitted to submit the portion of my work which refers to this subject to the revision of the highest living authority on Indian botany", Thomas Henry Huxley, Frederic Moore of the East India House Museum, Robert Patterson also from Belfast and author of an Introduction to Zoology Adam White British Museum, John Edward Gray British Museum, Edward Blyth for the zealous and untiring energy with which he has devoted his attention and leisure to the identification of the various interesting species forwarded from Ceylon, and to their description in the Calcutta Journal.

In the historical sections Tennent remarks on contributions made by Julius von Mohl the literary executor of Eugène Burnouf, George Turnour "for access to his unpublished manuscripts; and to those portions of his correspondence with James Prinsep which relate to the researches of these two distinguished scholars regarding the Pali annals of Ceylon", Ernest de Saram Wijeyesekerev Karoonaratne, "the Maha-Moodliar and First Interpreter to the Governor", James De Alwis "translator of the Sidath Sangara", the Rev.