MAV i, 1890 I THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 1$t 
in a few clays, and also to have the honor of repre- 
senting to your Excellency the necessity of a different 
arrangement for the treatment &e. of my future 
collections and contributions to the Botanic Garden. 
I have the Honor to Eemain Sir, Your most 
obedient and Humble Servant, 
J. G. Lear, 
Peradenia, July 18th, 1838. 
The Hon'ble G. Turnour &c, &c, <&c, Kandy. 
Peradenia, July 2 th, 1838. 
Dear Sir. —The dreadful and melancholy intelli- 
gence received here of Mr. Watson's death and the 
inconvenience the Establishment at Peradenia must 
suffer on the account has induced me to take 
this opportunity of begging permittance to assure 
you how much my services are at your and Govern 
ment command during a short stay I find it 
necessary to make here. 
I Remain, Dear Sir, Your obdt. Servant, 
J. Lear. 
My clear Anstruther, — The enclosed from Mr. Lear 
was put into my hands this evening, and I 
subsequently met him and asked him what leave 
he meant to stay in this neighbourhood. He replied 
that he was at perfect liberty to remain, if required 
by the Government for any service, pending a 
reference to his Employer. 
I informed him that I had no authority to accept 
the assistance offered, but that I would send his 
note accompanied by this explanation for the 
Governor's information, 
I fear Mr. Watson's widow is left totally deslitut". 
Yours ever truly, 
George TrjRNorja. 
July 20, 7 p. m. 
To His Excellency the Governor, &c , &o., &c. 
Sir, — I have the Honor to acknowledge the re- 
ceipt of your Excellency's letter of the 20th instant, 
and am extremely sorry the melancholy and sadden 
intelligence of Mr. Watson's death has forced me 
to the necessity of remaining in this neighbourhood 
a little longer than I had expected when last I 
address'd Your Excellency and my fears at disap- 
pointing Your Excellency in consequence, are so 
great that I have presumed to write again and offer 
the above to plead my apology. 
I have moreover presumed to persuade myself that 
I Bhouid be considered wanting in gratitude to the 
distinguished kindness your Excellency has shown 
me, were I to neglect giving an eye to the Botanic 
Garden under existing circumstances, in the 
advancement of which I feel so deeply interested, 
exposed to as it is to the mercy of individuals 
whose knowledge and care is too confined to see 
or know that justice is done to it. 
I moreover anxiously pray your Excellency will 
condescend to believe that however great may be 
the energy required to bring about the above 
Establishment to deserve the name it bears, my 
Services (as far as they will extend) are at your 
Excellency's command, until satisfactory arrange- 
ments be made for that purpose. Nor at any time 
shall the most strenuous exertion be spared on 
my part in the performance of any office I may 
In: entrusted with, that is calculated to exalt the 
object of youii Kxeellency's wishes. 
in making the above offer to your Excellency 
it is under the sure conviction that Mr. Knight, 
my present employer, would blame oppoii.e conduct 
in his servant on i-he present occation. 
I have the h'ionor to Remain Sir, Your Excel- 
lency's M j. t Ob diunt nd Humble Servant, 
J, Lear. 
Peradenia, July 23rd, 1»3S. 
The Rt, Hon'ble the Gjvernor, &c, Queen's 
House. 
Sir, — I have the Honor to acknowledge the re- 
ceipt of your Excellency's letter of the 25th current, 
agreeable to which I proceeded to establish some 
temporary arrangements for conducting the labour 
&c, of the Botanic Garden. Mr. Tumour being 
absent I waited upon Mr. Atchison on 27th for 
th ■ benefit of his advice and assistance, but that 
gentleman referred me to Mr. Rugh, the assistant 
Gk.vernnvnt Agent, as the most proper person to 
take the part required by Your Excellency on that 
occasion, who also expressed himself bound to 
observe some delicacy in interfering in the matter 
from Your Excellency's instruction not having 
applied more directly to him. The latter gentleman, 
however, rode out to Peradenia and took a very 
active part in the interest of the Establish- 
ment. Government property has been collected 
with particular care and an Inventory taken of the 
whole (comp'e'ed today) except the plants which 
lie in such confu ed order that a day or two more will 
be required. Mr. Rugh and myself have examined 
some late writings of the Establishment referring 
to payments, abstracts, &c. (that were under the 
charge of the head clerk) of such a suspicious 
character that we oould arrive at no other 
conclusion than to recommend an Investigation 
into his conduct (as far as is p ssible) referring to 
the business of his office. Mr. Solomonz, the clerk, 
has been absent since the 14th current and left in 
the absence of Mr. Watson when there was no one 
to conduct the business of the Establishment and 
has not since returned. - Indeed his general conduct 
(omitting the above) is such as to merit for him a 
suspension until the matter is properly looked 
into. 
A little reduction can be made in the labour 
of the Establishment without loss to the present 
condition of the garden which should take place 
when the payments are made for this month. But 
I must likewise humbly beg to state that it will 
not be advisable even for a short time to trust the 
Gardens or Superintendence of remaining labour to 
anyone or more of the people at present connected 
with it. The Draftsman would be materially 
improved under the superior tution of Doctor 
Wight, and he is willing to repair thither at Your 
Excellency's pleasure, but if I may be allowed the 
suggestion I think it would be better that he be 
kept at home in good practice, if a few of his 
errors are pointed out to him. Scientifically he has 
taste to alter them and would soon acquire a 
proficiency. Amongst other business in which I have 
been much left to myself, I have noted what the 
Establishment requires to make it more efficient, 
and I shall submit it to your Excellency's consider- 
ation on my arrival in Colombo where I hope to 
be on Thursday 2nd per mail if Mr. Tumour whom 
I understand is expected in Kandy tonight gives 
me no directions to prevent it. I intend also to 
wait upon that gentleman tomorrow to know his 
pleasure. In every other particular Your Excellency's 
commands shall have my early and best attention. 
— I have the Honor to be, Sir, Your Excellency's 
most humble and obedient servant, 
J, Lear. 
Peradenia, July 30th, 1838. 
(Copy ot Letter from Col. Walker to Mr. Lear.j 
Colombo, August 14, 1838. 
Dear Sir, — H's Excellency the Governor autho- 
rizes me to request of you to examine the whole 
of the dried plants at Peradenia with the view of 
sending such as are in a good state to Dr. Wight 
at Madras in ordor to be arranged and named. 
