<XI MONTHLY. tx> 
Vol. XIV. 
COLOMBO, SEPTEMBER ist, 1894. 
No. 3. 
PIONEERS OF THE PLANTING ENTERPRISE IN CEYLON." 
ALEXANDER BROWN, ESQ., 
COFFEE PLANTER AND ESTATE AGENT 1845 TO 1876. 
LEXANDER BROWN— more 
familiarly known throughout 
the planting and mercantile 
world of Ceylon as "Sandy 
Brown "'—was born in Banff 
some time in the year 1820, 
being second of a family 
of live boys and two girls. His father, a highly 
respected and clever Accountant was Harbour- 
Master (" Shoredues ", for Banff). His son Alex- 
ander, after a good plain education, got\a training 
to business in his father's office, and soon after- 
wards became a clerk in the office of Messrs. 
Park Brothers, shipowners, Fraserburgh. After 
being with them for some years, A. Brown came 
to Ceylon a young man of 24 years in 1845 ; ami 
his first appointment was as Assistant on Kande- 
kettia estate in the Knuckles district, under Mr. 
James Wright, a veteran who is still to the front 
in the Dimbula district after an honorable and in- 
dustrious career of 54 years as planter. We 
have heard " Sandy Brown " give a vivid account 
of his first journey from Kandy into the heart 
of the Knuckles. There was no road to speak 
of, nor the succession of nativ e villages such as 
now indicate the vast change which has come 
over that side of the country. Part of the way 
he rode, but most he walked, until at last he 
found himself with a number of coolies on the 
bank of the Huluganga, which was a raging 
torrent in full flood, and had been so for several 
days, preventing any one from getting across. 
Supplies of rice and other foodstuffs were thereby 
delayed on the Kandy side of the river, and 
planters beyond, including Mr. Wright and his 
coolies, were in danger of being famished, although 
their food was in full view. No wonder though 
the Manager gave the reply he did to his young 
fresh Assistant who, soon after he was able to get 
across, began to admire the scenery — the Kele- 
bokka valley with the Knuckles being a delightful 
picture of tropical plantations with patana 
(natural pasturage) framed in by the everlasting 
hills. " The scenery, my young friend,"— said 
Mr. Wright—" is that what you are thinking of ; 
the scenery is fine enough in its way, but it won't 
give you rice and curry ! " 
Mr. Brown did not remain long in the 
Knuckles ; promotion M as rapid in those days ; 
and we find him a few months later as Assis- 
tant on Selagama, Matale, under Mr. James 
Forbes. In this situation, again, Brown was only 
left a few months— so that his actual planting work 
lasted only for a year— his reputation as an 
Accountant, becoming known, Donald Davidson 
— a well-known merchant and proprietary planter 
— wrote to James Forbes to semi down A. 
