440 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Jan. i, 1894. 
17th year when lie was placed in charge of ' 
some eleven miles of the more difficult portion | 
of the load between Ambanpitiya througii the ' 
Ballapany Valley to Waracopoly, at the liead of 
a con8iderable force of iin.skilled labourers, the 
major portion being Kandyan villagers who had 
been in open rebellion only two years before. 
We wiah we could wait to shew in detail, liow 
he gained their confidence, as also complete 
rule over them, so that Sir Edward Barnes's 
frequent endorsement on the Progress Kejiorts 
was " this lad is doing well with his Kandyans ;" he 
opened his 11 miles within the year ; never touched 
".stimulants" (although heavy drinking was 
the general rule among the other officers) and 
earned tlie high opinion of the Major-General 
Lt. -Governor. He was next moved to the un- 
liealthiest .section at Allowe on the Mahaoya, 
where a large force under Col. Brown, it.ii., 
was concentrated ; but jungle fever having broken 
out, very soon Lieut. Skinner was the only 
effective European officer left — testimony to hi.s 
temperance and good constitution which had 
Ijreviously carried him through severe attacks 
of dysentery. He could not, however, expect to 
escape fever altogether, and at last got so bail 
an attack that he was invalided to F^ngland. 
In 1822 he revisited his old Dorset seliool- 
master as a lad of 18, but an officer of three years' 
standing, who had already bagged his iialf-dozen 
elephants ! So small and active was he, that in 
1823 when weighed (in England) he was only 7i 
stone. After visiting his father's family in 
Newfoundland, the young Lieutenant returning 
to England, embarked for Ceylon again on the 
15th April 1825, the vessel carrying the head- 
quarters of the 97th regiment and a num ber of 
distinguished officers. Chess seemed to be the chief 
object of attention on board, and Mr, Skinner, who 
scarcely knew the game, when he embarke<l 
became the best player of the ship's "club ' 
before the voyage ended. A curious coincidence, 
attended both his outward voyages to Ceylon 
thus : — 
1.5th Aprill818, embarked off the "Falcon Hotel," 
at Gravesend. 
10th August 1818, anchored in Back Bay, Trinco- 
malee. 
15th Aprill825, embarked off the "Falcon Hotel," 
at Gravesend. 
10th August 1 825, anchored on same spot in Back 
Bay Trincomalee. 
The distance run in 1825 was 13,581 miles. 
On aiTiving in Colombo, Lieut. Skinner (who was 
only just of age) got the choice from Sir Edward 
Barnes, now full Governor and Lieut.-General, 
of becoming one ofhisAs.D.C. or Staff Officer of 
Colombo. He chose the latter, laborious post 
without considering Mhat it involved ; for as we 
read the garrison of Colombo in 1825 consisted of,— 
A Troop of Dragoons. 
A Detachment of Eoyal Artillery. 
A Detachment of Royal Engineers. 
A Company of the Royal Staff Corps. 
IGth Regiment. A portion of this regiment detached. 
T-ith Regiment. 
fi.Srd Regiment. 
97th Regiment. 
Ceylon Rifles. 
Gun Lascars. 
Armed Lascoryns. 
Several detachments were drafted from these regi- 
ments, but still the garrisou wan lar^e. and its duties 
were conducted on the most strict and rifii principles. 
A field officer and two subalterns were on garrison 
duly every day ; guard-mountinK was done with the 
utmost formality ; guards were " trooped" every morn- 
ing, and not the sliglitest deviation from established 
, forms was permitted without the field officer of the 
day being called upon to give his reasons in writing. 
The commandant was present at guard mounting 
about three days in each week. I do not believe that 
the garrison at Gibraltar could have been under stricter 
discipline than tliat of Colombo at this time. 
Tlie (Governor insisted on tlie young Staff Officer 
takingViji his resitlence in King's House, and hence- 
forward until Sir Edward Barnes' departure for 
India at the end of 1831 , he lived on terms of closeht 
intimacy with that most distinguishe<l officer and 
I administrator wliouj he admired and served witli 
the utmost enthusiasm. Of Lieut. Skinner's un- 
equalled activity at tliis time, two illustrations 
may be briefly mentioned : he was ordered to pro- 
ceed to Negombo, 23 miles north of (•olotnbo, 
make a plan of barracks there and prepare an 
estimate for their repair. He left King's House 
at 2 p.m. on his grey Arab, arrived at Xegonibo 
within 2 hours, matle his measurements in an 
hour and gallojjed back in time to bathe, 
dress .and attend a dinner party where the 
Governor and Lady Barnes were present. On 
seeing him, HLs Excellency, never dreaming the 
inspection had been made, was most indignant at 
the apparent dereliction of duty until he learned 
the facts, w hich pleased him immensely. Shortlj' 
after, the young Lieutenant was forced into 
a ride in the dark by the Governor's Military 
Secretary, Col. Chureliill, on a wager of £50 : 
riding to Veyangoda 25 miles and back between 
midnight and the hour of guard-mounting C 
a.m. He did it with half-an-hour to spare. 
But no officer had ever less to do with betting 
or gambling, equally with drinking, than the sub- 
ject of our notice, and Lieut. Skinner had also 
an intense dread of getting into debt even for 
a purpose, such as buying a regimental step, 
which might well have justified the loan. He 
allowed himsf^lf be purchased over more than 
once ; declined a purse got up by brother officers 
who thought it a disgrace he should be .so long 
■svithout his " Company ; " and specially prevented 
Governor Barnes from giving him the preference 
for a Captaincy over Lieut. Rogers — afterwards 
I^Iajor Rogers of Uva. Rogers was the great hunter, 
1,500 elephants have fallen to him altogether, and 
was Major Skinner's closest friend until he was 
killed by lightning at the Haputale Pass on 8th June 
1845. In this way it happened that Mr. Skinner 
served no fewer tli.an 17 years as subaltern, before 
he got his Company in 1835, when ia-his 31st year. 
