<A MONTHLY. I>* ' 
Vol. XIII.l 
COLOMBO, OCTOBER 2nd, 1893. 
No. 4. 
"PIONEERS OF THE PUNTING ENTERPRISE IN CEYLON.' 
ROBERT BOYD TYTLER. 
Early Life. 
F "a wise son knoM-s his own 
father" it is but meet and 
right that the modern plan- 
ter should desire to know, 
and learn a lesson from the 
life of the late Robert Boyd 
Tytler, emphatically the 
father ot coffee and cacao mtltivation in Ceylon, 
Specially educated and trained for a tropical 
agriculturist, practical, shrewd, energetic and 
conscientious, Mr, Tytler would have made his 
mark in any walk of life. That he devotec. 
the first-fruits of his e.xperience and active life 
to the interests of Ceylon, was indeed a fortu- 
nate circumstance for the island, which at the 
time, so specially needed guidance in planting- 
matters. And now though gone, upwards of 
ten years ago, the result of his life and labours 
may yet be seen in a body of highly-trained plan- 
ters, whose energy, intelligence and integrity will 
compare favourably with that of any agriculturists 
in the world. 
It may be said that while yet a baby, '' Hobbie" 
was expressly set apart for a planter. Born in the 
village of Inveruiie, 16 miles North-west of Aber- 
deen, on the 27th July 1819, he received the name 
of Robert Boyd after a cousin of his mother, which 
proved a fortunate thing for all concerned, and 
must have often led the parents to think that 
after all there's something in a name. Had the 
boy's name been jilain Pelcrov odd Obadiah, ten to 
one, Cdylon would have never seen him. Mrs. 
James Tytler's uncle was minister of Crimniond, 
consequently the boy's name-father was '' a .son of 
the manse," already well-known as a keen and 
successful man of business, deeply interested in 
eastern trade, particularly in the planting pros- 
pects of Ceylon. 
The Manse, 
The manse had now no children to enliven it, 
^^■hile James Tytler had a quiverful ot a round 
dozen. What so natural and so proper than that 
the manse should adopt one, and that this one, 
should be the bright little embryo planter now 
verging upon 8 years of age. Bobbie was a 
decided acquisition to the manse. Especially 
appreciated by the two ladies, who charmed by 
his quaint humour, would listen amusedly to his 
naive recital of village life. "And can you sing ?" 
said Miss Boyd, one day after calling him. in from 
the garden to amuse some lady visitors. "Hoot 
ay " ! said he, and clearing liis throat at once pro- 
ceeded. But the first line proved enough. "Stop" 
they all shrieked at once, and the astonished Bob 
received such a lecture on the impropriety of his 
song as he never forgot to his dying day. 
The School. 
It was now considered high time to send the boy 
to school, and to school he forthwith went, and so set 
himself to master the mysteries of BIc' 'ulloch, 
LincUey Murray and Gray with a success which, 
while it delighted the dominie, astonished the good 
folks at the manse At this same school Tytler 
made the acquaintance of several youths with 
whom he afterwards came in contact in Ceylon. 
Amongst others, Reid, Webster, &c., all of whom 
were distinguished in after life by their splendid 
23iiiunanship, alas ! now almost a lost art. 
Even at this early age R. B. T. made his mark, 
and it is said left it on more than one of the boys. 
The CtArden. 
At 12 years of age he was removed from the 
public school, and bearing in mind the life and 
work for which he M^as destined, his studies were 
transferred to the Gardens of Philorth, the seat of 
Lord Seafield, Although it wa,s understood he was 
sent there as a sort of supernumerary apprentice 
— in something like the position of a modern 
" creeper"— yet he had to begin at the beginning, 
taking his turn -with the others, and he had reason 
to remember his first afternoon's work. 
In those days it was the fashion— and for all 
I know may be so still — that every lout who called 
himself a journeyman gardener, thought he was 
entitled to indict all sorts of practical jokes on the 
* By " Old Colonist," with a few additions by the Editor. 
