792 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1894. 
edacation, he was apprenticed in hi« youth at 
MaudsJay's Factoiy and Iron Foundry where lie 
received a thorough trainiag as a mechanical engi- 
neer and fitter, and gained a practical knowledge 
of a branch of work, which, in after year.s, proved 
of the greatest utility to him as a colonist He 
was at work in this factory when the Greeks were 
being aided by England to gain their independence 
(1827) and Maudslay's with many otlier factories 
had a busy time in tlie preparation of war 
material. In 1830 after the expiry of his in- 
dentures, he met his uncle, Mr. Henry Rudd, 
Senr., who had just returned to England after an 
absence of 20 years in Ceylon. He had been 
commissioned to obtain and bring out two 
stationary steam-engines for tiie Ceylon Govern- 
ment — one being intended for pumping water in 
Jaffna, and the other required for oil-mills in 
Colombo. Having been persuaded to try his 
fortune in Ceylon, Wm. Kudd left England with 
his uncle in the month of July 1831, and after 
a tedious voyage of six months round the Cape, 
landed in Ceylon on January 14th, 1832. Amongst 
their fellow-passengers on the voyage out, were 
old Mr. French Gray, and the mother of the 
late Mr. Marcus Vanderstraaten, Station Super- 
intendent of Kandy. 
In Government Service.— After working for 
a short time Avith his uncle, who had a Carriage 
Building Establishment* in the Pettah, \Vm. 
Rudd was employed by the Government. He put 
up the steam-engine, which had been imported 
for use in Colombo, and subsequently had charpe 
of a division of pioneers. He did not, however, 
remain long in the Public Works Department 
of the island, as he fell out with an official 
who wanted vouchers signed for a larger amount 
than was actually paid. It is devoutly to be 
hoped that this variety of official is now extinct. 
After leaving the service of Government, Wm. 
Rudd got charge of a Coconut-oil Mill belong- 
ing to Messrs. Ackland & Boyd, and it was 
reason of his connection with this Planting 
Firm that he afterwards turned his attention 
to coffee planting— an enterprise at that time 
(1834) in its infancy in Ceylon. The commence- 
ment of his PLANTING life being so nearly 
coincident with the start of the enterprise it 
may be interesting here to refer to the Jirst 
planter — George Bird— the brother of Colonel 
Bird who was the Military Commandant at 
Kandy in the year 1823. Geo. Bird, who in 
his time had been a Cavalry officer, was a 
personal friend of the Governor, Sir Edward 
Barnes. He had opened and planted with coffee 
the Sinnepittia estate near Gampola, as far 
*The building, an upstair house overlooking the 
f«ttah Burial Grouad, still stands, 
back as the year 1824 ; and aljout the same time 
Gangarooa, on the banks of the river near 
Kandy, was opened for the Governor, with Mr 
W. S. Northway as Superintendent. J'lie name 
of " Raja Totam " or Governor » estate, cliugs 
to this property to this day. Siuuapittia was 
not a success as far as coffee «a« concerned, pos- 
sibly owing to the fact that Geo. Biid Jia<J uo 
previous experience to help him. He was how- 
ever a man of vast eneigy, great physical strength 
and indomitable pluck, and was not easily 
turned from his purpose. It may lie as «ell 
here to quote from Mr. William Rudd'« contri 
bution to the Colombo Obscrccr in July 1867:— 
" Recollections of the early days of Coffee 
Planting by Wni. Kadd— the first Sinne Durai in 
Ceylon,— In December 1832 Mr. George Bird went 
to Kondesallie, in the valley of Doonibers, to inbpect 
tbe land in that neighbourliocd lo determine its 
eligibility for the cultivation of coflee and after a 
short time he applied to Government for a grant 
of the lands now known as the Koudesallie Coffee 
Kstate. Land was then given away by Government 
on condition that the applicaut should cultivate 
one-tenth of what he applied for, and this wa.8 the 
last land granted on those conditions, for very soon 
after, there arrived orders from England that no 
more land shoold be K'ven away, and that in fu- 
ture all lands should be sold by public auction, at 
the upset price of five shillings per acre. Mr. Bird 
was put iu possession of his land, and having made 
arrangements with a Mercantile House in Colombo, 
it was agreed that 3U0 acres should be at once 
put under cultivation under the superintendence of 
Mr. Bird. . . ^ 
"In 1834 Mr.Wm. Rudd joined Mr. George Bird 
as assistant, and during this and a part of the 
next year they planted to the extent of three hun 
dred acres, while a house for the .Superintendent 
was in progress and nearly completed. But the na- 
tives were extremely troublesome, driving their 
cattle into the cleared and planted lands, and thereby 
causing much trouble and loss. Tvin" nr, =-o 
... - _ - o Was 
illegal and no cattle trespass law existed in those 
days. The consequence was the cattle were driven 
out from the coffee fields to the grass lands, but onlv 
to be driven back as soon as an opportunity offered. 
This state of things could not continue and as a 
last resource the cattle (both black cattle and 
buffaloes) were shot. This engendered much ill- 
feeling between the Superintendent and the natives 
and at last ended in serious consequences, for no 
sooner was the new house finished than the natives 
set it on fire, and it was quite destroyed The 
Government offered £100 reward for the con- 
viction of the offender, but he was never discovered 
However, this offence had the effect of hastening 
the Government on with a Cattle Trespass Regula- 
tion, which when passed was considered satisfactory 
by all parties, and it is the same with little altera- 
tion that exists t9 (bjs day." 
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