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tME THOPXCAL AiiUiCUVl'VUlBf, 



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" NEW GALWAY " DISTEICT EE VISIT ED. 



(Concluded from page 533.) 



Before leaving Albion I must notice the 

 limestone formations which crop out here so ab- 

 undantly and from the " white cliffs" of which, 

 the estate probably derives its name ? On the soil 

 which is doubtless largely impregnated by decayed 

 caloai'eous matter, the natives cultivate consider- 

 able quantities of onions (the small species which 

 subdivides, identical with that which is so largely 

 produced on the recent lime formations of the 

 Jaffna Peninsula,) and garlic. Mr. Alexander Dixon 

 was of opinion that the Uva dolomite, passing under 

 the Nuwara Eliyaand Dimbula ranges, crops out again 

 opposite Gongalla in the shape of the Meddecombra 

 cliffs. The limestone formation is valuable wherever 

 it occurs, beirg better we were told as a mortar 

 than coral lime, although the latter is superior 

 for finishing off and for whitewashing. The coral 

 limestone, too, (almost pure carbonate of lime, with 

 no admixture of magnesia,) is superior as a ferti- 

 lizer, were the carriage not so expensive. But the 

 great interest to us of the limestone on Albion 

 was the presence in it, not of gold coloured u'on 

 pyrites as is usual, but of a wealth of beautiful 

 sapphire-blue crystals of spinel. We spent a con- 

 siderable time in selecting and loading a cooly 

 with a basket of exquisite specimens, in which the 

 deep blue of the spinel contrasted beautifully with 

 the white of the limestone and the bright-glanc- 

 ing mirror-like crystals of mica. As ornaments for a 

 drawing-room mantlepiece, or a boudoir or as cabinet 

 specimens, there are few things so beautiful and 

 interesting, and we were not surprised to find 

 that Mr. Kellow has many requests for 

 specimens. Our previous attempts to get pieces 

 polished into paper weights at the Colombo ceme- 

 tery works, were not a success, the limestone 

 taking a dark colour in the process of smoothing; 

 but persons obtaining specimens of the spinel 

 limestone will be interested to learn that the in- 

 tensity of the blue of the spinel crystals and the 

 brilliancy ot the mica can be greatly heightened 

 by smartly rubbing a piece of clean chamois 

 leather, over the rough specimens, as blasted or 

 hammered. As yet Mr. Kellow has blasted only 

 one large boulder, we believe, but the probability 

 is, judging by analogy, that the spinel permeates 

 much of the limestone and that regular spinel 

 sapphires have been found or can be found in the 

 detritus below. It does net seem likely that a 

 people so much given to gem -digging as the Sin- 

 halese, have neglected search in this formation, 

 but there can be equally little doubt tha.t the supply, 

 especially in the rock matrix, cannot be exhausted. 

 The intrinsic value of sapphires and rubies found 

 in limestone is low in comparison with the prices 

 jjaid for crystallized and coloured clay, but spinel 

 gems if large and flawless, have a value of their 

 own. Not long ago, when Mr. Kellow showed us 

 his first apecimens, we gave full and detailed 

 information on the subject, including the alleged 

 facts that very large and pure spinel sapphires 

 and rubies from Burma had sold in the Europ- 

 ean market at prices equal to those realized 

 by the gems derived from the crystallization 

 of argillaceous matter. Mr Kellow has bad 

 door-weights made of the Albion spinel lime- 

 stone, and flower-pots cemented over with small 

 fragments look very beautiful, hung in the verandah 

 of his bungalow. It would be preferable, how- 

 ever, we think, to form vases thus ornamented in 

 which to place ordinary porous flower pots. But 

 for the weight of the material, (our collec- 

 tion severely tried two coolies), a good market 

 <)8 



for the beautiful blue-crystalled mountain lime- 

 stone might thus be opened up. It is possible, 

 too, notwithstanding the failure of our ex- 

 periment, that slabs for tables may yet be sawn 

 and successfully polished. Contrasted specimens 

 of masses of red garnets which we collected on 

 the Blackwater slip, and the blue-crystalled 

 limestone which we took from the vein below 

 Hakgala, on Albion estate, have excited great ad- 

 miration, each being beautiful in its own way. 

 While on the subject of mineralogical specimens 

 I must not forget to mention that on the occasion 

 of my original visit to New Cornwall, under the 

 auspices of the late Mr. Mark Kellow, he led me 

 down through the bottom of the valley, by a path 

 long since disused, to a formation near the out- 

 let of the stream, known then and still known 

 as " the plum-pudding rock." Some conglomerate, 

 no doubt, but whether ironstone, as is probable, 

 or some form of quartz or limestone, I cannot say as, 

 on this latter occasion, I was not able to get to the 

 position of the plum-pudding rock. A curious pecu- 

 liarity of the specially rich soil of this limestone re- 

 gion is its very dark chocolate colour. This 

 dark shade must indicate the presence of fer- 

 tilizing substances specially favourable to the 

 growth of cofl'ee, for the stems which we saw as 

 we descended the steep sides of the cup-like Valley 

 of Ambawella, thick as a stout man's thigh, were 

 wonderful contrasts to the best growths we had 

 ever seen in Dimbula.* Produce in the prime of 

 this secluded district, (reminding me strongly of 

 the scene of the richest gold mine in the world, the 

 Walhalla in Gipps Land, Victoria,) was in proportion, 

 and Messrs. Cotton and Kellow, still shew splendid 

 coffee, Mr. Kellow indeed adhering to his first love, 

 coffee, and not yet " going in " for tea. Mr. Cotton, 

 however, has gone on the two-string theory, while the 

 proprietors of Ambawella are scattering tea in all 

 directions : in the valley ; on its rim and down 

 outside of it, until the high road below Hakgala 

 is reached. There can be no doubt that where 

 coffee grew so well tea will also flourish. Look- 

 ing at the soil, I said to my companion, " We 

 have soil over the range quite as deep, quite as free ; 

 the difference with us is the lighter colour, brown 

 inclining to yellow, in which coffee, but for 

 leaf disease, would have done fairly and in which 

 tea luxuriates." I had just been reading Dr. 

 Griffith's account of the expedition of Dr. Wallich 

 and himself to the habitat of the indigenous tea in 

 Assam, nearly sixty years ago, and I did not fail 

 to note that where a group of tea trees was found 

 growing in the Assam and Upper Burma jungles, the 

 almost invariable description of the colour of the soil 

 was "yellow. " The fact seems to be that tea, with ity 

 powerful tap-root, rejoices in a pretty stiff clayey 



* At the distance of nearly twenty-two years, I havy 

 the most distinct and vivid recollection of the exquisite 

 scene which greeted two of my sense.", as I rose on the 

 morning of the second day of iny visit in April 16dh, 

 The vvbole expaose of cofft-e spread over the vaDcy ap" 

 peared as if during tlie night fairy agencies had bem 



I at work, showering over the treea a dense covering 

 of jasmin-scented snow-flakes. As I walked through this 

 scene of amazing beauty and powerful perfume, I 

 gathered specimens of a small, indolent bee-like bVetkv 

 which, in immense numbers, was feeding ou the nectar 

 of the iiowers. I .«ent Ihe insects to the late Mr, 

 Neitner (Author of " Enemies of the Coffee Tree,") 

 who assured me, that the beetles were innocuous. Alas, 

 that a similar verdict could not apply to the fungus 

 which four years subsequently developed with such 

 fatal fecundity and destructive energy, over similar 

 vast expanses of once profitable but then doomed coffee 



j culture, the contemptible pest, breaking not meirH^ 

 f-jrtunes but humau hearts ; 



