3^4 
his savings in the Negombo district, leased 
for many years after bis death to the 
late Mr. David Wilson, and eventually sold to 
Mr. De Soysa. Dr. Elliott wrote very freely during 
the "forties" and "fifties" on planting and 
agricultural topics generally, and he was keenly 
alive to all improvements that could he in. 
troduced into local industries. 
To shew what Sir Henry Ward thought of 
him — notwithstanding the opposition to his Kail- 
way Company — we need only repeat that it was 
he who chose Dr. Elliott to be the first holder 
of the office of " Principal Civil Medical Officer" 
for the Colony, tor which also Sir Charles Mac 
Carthy and his father-in-law Sir Benjamin 
Hawes (Permanent Under-Secretary) strongly 
i-ecommfnded him. This was in 1858, and, alas ! 
within a twelvemonth, he in whom so many 
hopes and so much aflfection (public as well as 
private) were centered, was no more. Dr. Elliott 
was struck down by dysentery and died on 
tha 22nd May, 1859. We need say nothing of 
his final illness and the closing scene, nor of 
his activity and wann interest in another phase 
— that of Christian teacher as well as philan. 
thropist— because all are so fully and well dealt 
with in the extracts we now append from the 
file of the Observer and from the Examiner, to 
which tlio late Mr. C. A. Lorenz contributeJ 
his testimony in verse. We quote as follows : — 
To THE Editor of the " Colombo Observer." 
Kandy, Saturday Evening, May 14, 1859. 
All who know of Dr. Elliott will feel how real 
and genuine is the regret shared by all classes of 
men at his serious indisposition. Last Sunday 
Evening he preached in the Baptist Chapel from 
Hebrews 9, 27th and 28th verses. In his opening he 
alluded to his journey to Matale on the previous 
day— his having met with a poor Tamil woman on 
the roadside lying down ill— with two of her 
children one of whom was dying— and his »irgent 
recommendation to the mother to seek shelter in 
the Hospital and of her refusal -and when she was 
told that her child was dying and will surely die 
—of her wild grief and agony— that when the 
Doctor returned from Matale how the two letters 
he opened brought the aftiicting intelligence of 
the death of William Ferguson's child and of 
young MacGregor. He said that after the expou 
ence of the day he was at no loss for a snliject. 
Moat who heard him that night never for a moment 
imagined that the preacher himself would be soon 
stricken with the insidioiis disease, dysentrry. [ 
who had heard him before, felt that there was 
a change in his delivei-y— that he looked exhausted 
—and gasped for breath — and had not siif- 
ficient strength to continue his address. One 
would have naturally ascribed it to the excite- 
ment of the occasion, but it never entered into 
the mindn of his heaiers that he was then sub. 
jected to the fearful attack of so fatal a malady. 
(From the "Observer." ) 
" At Colombo, on the morning of Sunday, May 
22nd, C. Elliott, Esq., M.D., Principal Civil 
Medical Officer of Ceylon, aged 49 years and 
10 months. " 
Death of Dr. Elliott. 
(By A. M. Feigiuion in 1859. J 
We, in common with Dr. Elliott's family 
and friends, have to deplore an event which 
although it places him beyond the reach of 
Kufl'ering, and in possession of ' joy unspeaK 
able and full of glory ". is to us, personally, one 
of the greatest of eartlily calamities, The warm- 
hearted steadfast friend— the wise and iheerful 
adviser of more than twenty years' Htauding, ha* 
been taken from our wide, and while the wound 
is so recent, we feel it iinpossible Ut do more 
than briefly notice a loss which to us, to hib 
family, and we may safely add t-o a large portion 
of the public of Ceylon, is irremediable. Latterly 
Dr. Elliott has been best known and most prized 
as a skilful and successful Medical man, with 
sympathy for all who suffered and advice and 
comfort for the many who sought his guidance in 
time of sickness, trouble and perplexity. As a 
Christian he haxl been for j'earu back becoming 
increasingly affectionate, earnest and laborious, 
and his last public act was to stand up in the 
pulpit and warn sinners to prepare for death and 
eternity. We who knew much of his inmost life, 
can testify that when he l>ore testimony to the 
grand verities and the comforting assurances of 
the Gospel, he spoke of what he sincerely believed 
felt and enjoyed. The turmoil of jwlitical life 
does not, perhaps, present the most favourable 
elements for maturing Christian character — is cer, 
tainly not the best calculated to secure for him 
who takes part in it the credit of good intentions- 
Dr. Elliott was for about 24 years — (almost the 
whole period of his residence in Cej-lon) connected 
with the Colombo Observer, as Editor and Pro- 
prietor. It cannot be hoped that the course he 
pursued — the sentiments lie put forth — should 
always and with all coiniuand ajiproval. But we 
believe there are few now in Ceylon who will not 
admit that his intentions were ever good and his 
aim to advance what he believed to be the true 
interests of the country of his adoption. Dr. 
Elliott had been always in the habit of atibrding 
Kratiiitous aid to the sick poor (having gained in 
a.u eminent degree the confidence of the Natives) 
and latterly his appointment to the post of 
Principal Civil Medical Officer of Ceylon, gave 
him increased opportunities of doing good which, 
we are confident, he valued as much at least as 
the emoltiments and honors of office. It seems » 
