MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT, 



4G1 



an increasing planting interest, of an independent English population, CH. XXVI J. 

 of large establishments for the support and education of English and ^okicultvre 



East Indian youths, and of a Native population embodying a culti- 



vating and pastoral tribe, would justify a special investigation." 



He suggested that Mr. Robertson's attention should be drawn 

 specially to the following subjects : — 



(1.) The capabilities of the Hills for the purposes of breeding 



horses, horned cattle, and sheep. 

 (2.) The facilities which these Hills may afford for the institution 



of small farms on the Eui^opean system, worked in part 



at least by European labor. 

 (3.) The improvement of the husbandry of the hill-people. 



On the subject of European colonization His Lordship's 

 remarks especially deserve attention. They are — 



" Some discussion has occurred, from time to time, respecting the 

 possibility of appropriating portions of the Neilgherry Hills for the 

 purpose of establishing European agricultural settlers, for the purpose 

 in fact of creating a self-supporting English rural population. On a 

 first view of the plateau such an undertaking might seem promising 

 to an inexperienced eye. The climate is fine for a large portion 

 of the year, the temperature is congenial to the European consti- 

 tution, the soil is rich, there are apparently large tracts of unappro- 

 priated ground, there is a market ; these are conditions favorable 

 to the production of cereal crops, garden crops, fruits, and valuable 

 commodities for exportation, such as tea and coffee ; there is a friendly 

 and fostering authority. A close inspection and analysis, however, 

 tend materially to qualify such favorable expectations. Much of the 

 good land on the warm side of the Hills is subject to the rights of 

 native cultivators ; the cost of building is excessive ; the pi'ice of 

 labor is high ; clothing is dear ; medical attendance and education 

 would be costly and ditficult of access ; the sale of grain crops, fruits, 

 and vegetables would offer little money remuneration compared to 

 the wants even of a humble European family ; the returns of tea and 

 coffee cultivation are slow and liable to great fluctuations. A poor 

 man would find it difficult to establish and maintain himself ; a richer 

 man would prefer to go elsewhere. My own impressions are deci- 

 dedly unfavorable to the Hills as a scene of agricultural settlement for 

 Englishmen ; but I think it would tend to the correction of erroneous 

 impressions and to the formation of sound opinions that this question 

 should be illustrated by the report of a person of unquestionable 

 judgment and practical knowledge in such matters. The formation 

 even of a limited working and self-supporting English community on 

 these Hills, if it could be effected under favorable conditions, would not 

 be without importance either in a commercial or political point of 

 view, and the basis for such a community might be found, in part, in 

 the Male and Female Military Orphan Asylums which are about to be 

 permanently established on the Neilgherries. There is the land and 



