This unusual book was only the third one published in English following the British takeover of Ceylon at the end of the 18th century. The book's two predecessors dealt with scenery and people whereas Bertolacci, who lived for 16 years in the country looks at what made the country function both in the past and in the present. As he mentions, in his preface, these subjects were not something of great concern either to other writers or administrators at the time. This is not a modern print on demand book. 358 pages.

 Weight: 0.8kg. Post free within Malaysia

Published by Tisara Prakasakayo, Colombo, 1983. Reprint.

Condition: Very Good. Paperback in similar dust jacket. The dust jacket has a few dirt marks and the text block is dirty. The last ten pages have a crease at the top right corner. The binding is tight and the text clear with no tanning throughout.