720 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May i, 1895. 
similar experience of a Tamil cooly who insisted 
his master's estate )>y the footpath was two miles 
from the station when the master himself said 
it was 3g miles ! 
Coming down the side of the Totapola range at 
a height of quite 1,000 feet above Nuwara Eliya, 
we were disappointed of the grand views which 
we so much enjoyed in 1877. The day had 
become overcast and rain even set in, so that all 
we could get were glimpses of rolling pal ana glisti a- 
ing streams and dark green forest a thousand feet 
below us; while the Sanatarium with its cluster 
of cottages and hake which ought to lie distinctly 
visible, although over 12 miles distant in a 
straight line, was all blotted out. The rain did 
not long continue fortunately ; but our decent 
along the zigzag road through the forest was a 
rapid one. We soon passed the old path and the 
new diversion already alluded to, and the irrigation 
ella, with water diverted from its natural course 
Dimbula-wards, to run eastward and down the side 
of Totapola towards Pattipola and (Jva. Lower 
down we came to the path leading to Pattipola or 
Summit Level. If the train M ere only allowed to 
take in passengers while Stopping to arrange 
breaks, this point would be the proper station for 
visitors from (if not to) Horton 1'lains. It would 
save two or three miles on the Ambewela route 
and come near enough to prove a rival to 
Ohiya even for climbing to the Plains. But our 
course lay more westward and northward for 
several miles round rolling patanas and by the 
side of the clear brown Elk Plains stream with 
its placid pools or babbling cataract. 
LAND FOR TEA PLANTATIONS AND OTHER 
CULTIVATION. 
Before leaving the forest, however, we were 
struck with the very line soil alongside our path 
and running away into several grand forest-clad 
valleys. The same thing was visible on the 
Ohiya side, where, although the Trig, points 
(including one called " Westland's Application") 
run up to 6,200 and 6,500 feet, the valley itself 
with its line forest runs clown below the railway 
station to a limit in Uva which must be close to 
or below 5,000 feet. Seeing how tea luxuriates 
in Nuwara Eliya and Kandapola up to 0,500 
and even 6,900 feet, it is clear that some very 
fine upland plantations could be formed on the 
slopes and in the valleys outside of Horton Plains, 
leading to Uva, Ambewela and Dimbula, if only 
the embargo of the Secretary of State were re- 
moved ; and if the land were sold under a 
guarantee to maintain so much reserve in forest, 
or to plant a defined portion with approved 
timber trees, we do not know that any interest 
whatever in the island would suffer, while many 
assuredly could not fail to benelit, notably native 
labourers, artificers, cartmen, the railway and the 
general revenue. But, let us agree that it is no 
use trying to get the local Government or 
Downing Street to agree to sell "forest " above the 
5,000 feet limit, the question still remains, — Is 
this prohibition to continue to apply to chena, 
scrub and even patana land ? In other words, is 
the country alongside the most expensive sec- 
tion of railway in the island — from Upper Dim- 
bula to Ohiya — to remain destitute of traffic, 
because uncultivated or unutilized ? We are 
aware that Sir Arthur Gordon refused to enter- 
tain a leasing proposal, although accompanied 
by a guarantee that no appreciable forest tree 
would be cut down, the object being to run and 
breed stock— cattle, sheep and even horses (from 
Australia) — on the patana country between Nuwara 
E iya and Totapola. We are doubtful if a 
stock experiment on so large a scale would prove 
successful, although the experiment on a smaller 
I and more manageable area would he one well 
I worth trying. [How have the sheep inqwrted 
I by a Haputale planter for Uva patamo- turned 
out'!] But, apart from stock, there is surely 
a future before much of this country lying 
between 5,500 and 6,500 feet through the culti- 
vation for vegetables and fruit as well as 
tea. Such cultivation could not fail to l*e an 
improvement over the bare patana or low scrub, 
from the point of view of the Secretary of 
State, in regard to climate and rainfall distri- 
bution, while benefitting the people, the railway 
and the Government. A beginning might be 
made by offering allotments near to the Ambe- 
wela station— at present standing alone in a 
wilderness of rolling patana and shola* of forest. 
AT AMBEWEL \. 
Leaving the Horton Plains Kesthouse at noon, 
and coming along at an easy rate, we reached 
the Ambewela station before 3 p.m. in good 
time for the afternoon down train ; but only to 
find that "owing to a slip'' it was to be 40 to 
50 minutes late. An appreciable saving in reach- 
ing Ambewela might be effected by connecting 
a pathway running up from the station for 
firewood purposes, with the Horton Plains road 
at the back of the knoll, so saving a considerable 
round by the existing route which strikes the 
railway line, -Jths of a mile or so on the Nanu- 
oya side of Ambewela. This is, of course, by 
t fie old Nuwara Eliya bridle road to Horton 
Plains, traced and opened long before a railway 
station was contemplated, much less located. 
The four or live miles of explorations walked 
in the early morning followed by the 8-mile 
journey up and down to the station did not 
seem to tire any of the party, even the ladies, 
in this delightful, highland climate. The sun 
often came out hot enough to make an um- 
brella welcome in addition to pitli hat ; but 
the breeze which every now and then swept 
down or up the mountain side, or along the 
patanas, was specially cool and bracing. 
A VISIT TO NEW GALWAV DISTKICT. 
Leaving our party at Ambewela station, to 
await the tardy train and so get carried 
to Nanuoya and thence drive to Nuwara Eliya, 
we started off on a farther walk of some 3A miles 
through the New Gal way district to the Ambe- 
wela estate. The Manager, Mr. K. Wardrop, 
had been good enough to come and meet us inthe fore- 
noon, but finding no arrival by train, h id returned, 
, leaving us a guide and box-cooly. The former 
proved to be that ram avis in terris, an English- 
speaking estate cooly — intelligent, speaking En- 
glish well, but generally reserved and perfectly 
respectful. His story is curious enough to be 
related ; he had only been 7 months in Ceylon 
and had come from Trichinopoly ; he had been 
"appu" or "butler" to a reverend gentleman, 
a Salt Commissioner, and others in that district ; 
but got out of employment and was tempted by 
a Ceylon cangani with an advance of K10 and 
an assurance that on getting to our hill-country 
he could easily get an appu's place with K25 
a month salary and a bushel of rice ! Instead of 
that he found himself turned into the field with 
the other coolies, at any rate until such time 
as he could clear off his advance of K10. We 
are too old a colonist to be caught by any first story, 
however plausible, and accordingly our response at 
once was, where are your certificates as butler ? 
' ' Left at Salem " sounded badly, considering that 
he must have known well their value, if he ever 
had them, and t hat it was hopeless to get domestic 
