722 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May i, 1895. 
Mr. Wardrop, is very wise not to sacrifice for 
some years at least, even though tea may in 
parts ' be planted between them. Most of 
the fields, however, are now in tea on virgin or 
old land and exceedingly satisfactory is the ap- 
pearance. Nothing could he better than the j&t 
for the climate and elevation, while everything i- 
in admirable order. We cannot help taking a more 
than ordinary interest in Ambewela ; for we 
have known it quite thirty years -our first and 
most notable visit having been_paid in 1863 when 
Mr. Alister MacLellan (with his bagpipes) was 
King of the Valley and old Messrs. Kellow and 
Cotton owned and woiked the minor properties. 
After reporting the first visit of Sir Hercules Robin- 
son to Haputale — where, on Kalupahana, Mr. 1!. 
E. Pineo and his young SinnaDurai, Mr. W. H. 
Hawkes, in March' 1865 had given him a royal 
reception and all the planters had gathered to 
read a welcome address to His Excellency and a 
farewell one to Major Skinner — we rode back 
to Badulla, passing through the first clearing on 
Gonamotava, visiting Irvine on Oodoowera, bin- 
ton on Gowrakelle and Thos. Wood on Spring 
Valley. Leaving the latter one morning we rode 
via Badulla and Attampitia to Wilson's Bun- 
galow and there got a Sinhalese guide who pro- 
mised very speedily to lead us to Ambewela 
Estate ; but a landslip had destroyed the bridle- 
path midway and it was dark before we entered 
the first field of cofi'ee after several narrow es- 
capes of the pony and rider tumbling over pre- 
cipices and it was 9 p.m. before we gut across the 
stream and up to Alister MaeLellan's bungalow. 
We need not refer to the Highland welcome in 
that lonely place and the playing of pibrochs and 
clan tunes which gathered the coolies and 
Kandyans to listen even in the dead of night ! 
On the occasion of our present visit, Mr. 
Wardrop pointed out to us the now bare 
sites of the bungalow and store of 1865, — 
cultivation having shifted mainly to the other 
side of the Valley." Messrs. Watkin Wm. Wynn, 
A. H. Lloyd and T. Blew were among the suc- 
cessors of Mr. MacLellan after the latter's trans- 
fer to Dikoya ; while Mr. Lawrence St. George 
Carey became in due season the purchaser of 
Ambewela at a large figure. Mr. Carey found a 
Moorman's field of coffee — some 20 to 25 acres 
adjoining Ambewela, an intolerable nuisance — 
its pulper was kept going night and day and it 
was perfectly clear that far more cofi'ee passed 
through it than ever grew on the Moorman's 
land. This was shown by the latter not 
caring to sell even for an extraordinary 
value per acre and at length it required 
nine-hundred-ancl-fifty rupees (lis. 950) per acre to 
buy out the Moorman ; and that, too, at a time 
when the rupee was not very far off the par 
of 2s — certainly not below Is 9d. This is surely, 
the highest price per acre ever paid for Cofi'ee 
land in Ceylon ? We had the "Moorman's field," 
now abandoned, pointed out to us. 
We need not refer to the outlook ironi Ambewela 
over the patanas to Haputale or on the other 
side of the ridge right along to Nauiunukulakande. 
We learned more from Mr. Wardrop about the 
proposed road in the course of a brief conversation 
accompanied by observation, and the requisite 
reports and figures, than quires of correspondence 
could make known. Both the Government Agent, 
Mr. Fisher, and Mr. Murray, P.W.JJ,, are in 
favour of the connecting road, and it seems the 
latter was able on his visit to lay out an im- 
proved trace which reduced the length from 5 to 
3)j miles without at all making it less convenient 
or less easy in gradient. Seeing that Mr. War- 
drop himself is prepared to take the contract on 
the official estimate even if as low a* B17.500 
per mile, and to show a return of 15 per cent 
clear profit ('.) to Government, it is monstious 
that there should be any delay in sanction and 
construction. It is the kind of absolutely re- 
productive and urgent work that when there was 
no Council sitting, in the olden days Sir Henry 
Ward would order to be made on his ow 11 
res] o.isibility, coming to the Legislature 
afterwards for concurrence and sho wi n;; how 
important it was not to lose time. J5ut 
now there is the Legislative Council in 
Session all the year, — why should not a vote 
lor KG5.IMMI be taken with the prospect of a 
clear income equal to 15 per com. 011 this outlay? 
Passing through Ambewela we inquired if 
there were any coolies who recalled " MacLellan 
Durai " to find a ready response from several 
greybeards • in fact the Valley is % favourite 
one foi the settlement of Tamil coolies, although 
terribly pestered by Sinhalese thieves coming after 
what remains of cofi'ee. Mr. Wardrop i- obliged 
to have four watchmen armed with guns, and 
even then cannot make sure against thefts from 
his fields. A inbewclla i- now the property of Mr. 
Oscar Finluy, a gentleman who had a large m n t- 
gagc on it in Mr. Carey's time. It i-. as we have 
said, a valuable property with its still vigorous 
coffee and everywhere line young tea. The district 
is a favourable one for fruit generally, and Mr. 
Wardrop who takes a pride in introducing new 
plants around his bungalow, pointed to us s mir 20 
different varieties including some splendid, heavy- 
bearing orange trees, limes, pummeloes. — of differ- 
ent species — peaches, figs, cherimoya, West In- 
dian papaws, tree tomatoes, plums. "pineapples, &c. 
Starting along the private cart-road (which it 
is sought to connect with the railway at Ambe- 
wela) we passed through Mr. Kcllow's Albion 
estate with some more fine cofi'ee (the bushes we 
saw being loaded with fruit) as well as tea ; while 
several flourishing potatoe fields attracted atten- 
tion. Here again there is a very successful gar- 
den, the fruit ranging from strawberries to 
apples, Mr. Kellow being ever ready to get new 
descriptions, seed or grafts from Australia or the 
old country. The line Eastern exposure as 
wel as good soil afford great advantages ; and 
Mr. Kellow sticks to his text that his Acacia 
decunrns does not spread from the root as 
does Acacia dcalbata and melatuxcylon and indeed 
another variety of decurrens. In this neighbour- 
hood, we have pointed out to us by both Messrs. 
Wardrop and Kellow, Crown land bordering on 
or above the 5,000 feet which might well be 
sold for cultivation, being patana or scrub and 
therefore far better under tea and timber trees 
i for all concerned, than if left in its present state. 
I And so farewell to New Gal way district in 
i this spring of 1895. Our journey upwards (this 
I time by rickshaw) lay past the Hakgalla Gardens 
where we paid a brief visit, the place under 
! Mr. Nock's care, being one of beauty and a 
' joy for ever; and thence on past " Seeta-Eila" 
I (with its old-world traditions of captive Queen 
I and pursuing King from the famous Hindu Epic) 
I until the "City of Light" was once more at- 
tained. Both above and below we saw ample 
evidence of a great extension in the cultivation 
of vegetables by the natives for the Nuwara Eiiya 
as well as the Colombo markets. The desired con- 
; necting road to Ambawela railway station would 
undoubtedly greatly encourage a further develop- 
ment of this industry for the benefit of the 
metropolitan market and of the Kandyan and 
other residents ef Upper Uva, 
