to L9.

_Copperah_ is the name, given by the natives to the kernel of the ripe
nut after it has been exposed to the sun on mats, until it has become
rancid and dissolved. It has recently been shipped to England in this
state for the purpose of converting into oil. The exports of copperah
from Ceylon were, in 1842, 115 cwts.; in 1843, 2,194; in 1844, 2,397;
and in 1852, 39,174 cwts.

The returned value of the copperah or kernels exported from Ceylon, as
entered in the Custom House books, is--

1840 2,508
1841 1,460
1842 3,022
1843 5,795
1844 6,194
1845 3,282
1846 5,517
1847 6,503
1848 12,639
1849 7,819
1850 4,166
1851 9,678
1852 13,325

632 cwts. of poonac (being the refuse or cake, after expressing the
oil) were exported from Ceylon in 1842. It is worth there about L10
the ton.

The oil from the nut is obtained for culinary purposes by boiling the
fresh pulp, and skimming it as it rises. That for exportation is
usually obtained by pressing the copperah in a simple press turned by
bullocks. Recently, however, steam power has been applied in Colombo,
with great advantage. About 21/2 gallons of oil per 100 nuts, are
usually obtained. It is requisite that care should be taken not to
apply too great and sudden a pressure at once, but by degrees an
increasing force, so as not to choke the conducting channels of the
oil in the press.

In many of the colonies the oil is expressed by the slow and laborious
hand process of grating the pulp.

The quantity shipped from Ceylon was 2,250 tuns, in 1842; 3,985 in
1843; 2,331 in 1844; 1,797 in 1845. The quantity in gallons shipped
since, was 101,553 in 1846; 197,850 in 1847; 300,146 in 1848; 867,326
in 1849; 407,960 in 1850; 442,700 in 1851; and 749,028 in 1852.

The duty on importation is of and from British possessions, 7d. and
7/8ths. per cwt.; if the produce of foreign possessions, 1s. 33/4 d, per
cwt. In the close of 1852, the price of coco-nut oil in the London
market was, for Ceylon, L32, L33, to L33 10s. per ton; Cochin,
middling to fine, L34 to L35.

The following return shows the Custom House valuation of the oil
shipped from Ceylon for a series of years, and which is of course much
below its real value:--

1839 L26,597
1840 32,483
1841 24,052
1842 34,242
1843 43,874
1844 24,067
1845