June i, » 895.5 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
S11 
— assuming tlie Coliacum of Pliny to be Hamancoil 
or Ramiseram, Delft would appear to be " the island 
of the Sun." Its length does not exceed seven or 
eight miles, and a tiny lake, formed in a depression 
in its centre, so facilitates vegetation and the growth 
of trees, that the Portuguese, whilst in possession of 
Manaar, occupied it as a breeding place for cattle 
and horses, and hence it acquired from them its 
designations of the " Ilha das Vaccas," and " Ilha 
dos Cavallos." * The breed of the latter, which had 
been originally imported from Arabia, was kept up 
by the Dutch, and afterwards for some time by the 
English, the horses being allowed the free range of 
the island, and when required were caught by the 
lasso, in the use of which the natives had probably 
been instructed by the Portuguese.! The stud was 
discontinued many years ago, the buildings con- 
structed for it have since gone to ruin, and the island 
is now thickly inhabited and partially brought under 
cultivation. 
But, as our correspondent points out, the island 
ot Mannar is well fitted for the roaring °f both 
ponies and cattle — indeed this island has been 
noted for its large breed of cattle and goats from 
time immemorial. When railway communication 
is established between Mannar and Colombo as 
well as India, a great development of the island 
and adjacent districts may be expected. When 
a locomotive train runs across "Tiroowanai" 
(the sacred embankment) and " Seitoopandanam " 
(or structure of Seitoo) — both names referring 
to Adam's Bridge or reef, — a wonderful change 
will speedily take place in the adjacent country 
on botn smles, and Colombo, especially, cannot fail 
to profit largely in the result. 
ANSWER IN RIPARIAN RIGHTS' CASE, 
THE DEFENCE. 
James Sinclair of Bearwell, Talawakelle vs. Edward 
Rice Wiggin of Bambrakelle Estate, George William 
Goodeve presently of England, Henry Rice Wiggin 
of Meddacumbura Estate. 
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF KANDY. 
This 25th day of April, 1895. 
The Answer of the defendants appearing by their 
Proctor Chas. Vanderwall states as follows : — 
1. — As matter of law, defendants say that the plaint 
does not disclose a cause of action or a right in the 
plaintiff to maintain this action. 
2. — Defendants admit that they are the owners of 
Bambrakelle Estate and that plaintiff is the owner of 
Mausakelle Estate ; and that the stream marked M 
M M M in the sketch, filed with the plaint and 
called the main stream, forms part of the boundary 
between the said estate. But defendants deny that 
the said estates are correctly described in the sketch 
filed with the plaint. 
3. — Defendants deny that plaintiff is, as owner ot 
Mausakelle Estate or that his predecessors in title 
* Ribeyro says, it waa also called by the Portuguese 
the " Bha das Cabras," because of tho multitude of 
goats which it fed, and he adds that it supplied the 
finest bezoar stoues in the world. (Lib. i. cb. xxv. 
p. 188.) 
f Tho horses run wild on the island and are 
caught by driving them into a Jsorahl, Which is 
circular and fenced with round stoues — here, one 
in particular being pitched on, some of the natives 
set after bim with ropes made into a noose, eight 
fathoms long, and tho thickness of a man's finger. 
This they contrive to throw about one of his hind 
legs whilst he W in full gallop, and thus make snre 
of hi in. Ono cannot see this mancouvro practised 
without the greatest astonishment, for these horse- 
catchers are so trainod that they never fail. They 
teach their children this art (by practising) on a 
man, and I have tried them on myself, I bad only 
to say on which arm or foot I choose to 1 aw tin 1 
rope thrown while I was running as fast as I waa 
able and it was Hone,"— Memoirs oj . HV/. p. 197. 
were, entitled to have the waters of the said stream 
including the waters of the said main stream in defen- 
dant's estate, called the tributary stream flow in their 
natural bed past Mausakelle Estate and at all times in 
their natural volume and at their natural level and 
velocity, or that the waters of the said main stream 
are largely supplied by the said tributary stream. 
4. — Defendants deny that plaintiff and his prede- 
cessors in title possessed and enjoyed the right, con- 
venience and advantage of having the waters of the 
said main stream including the waters contributed 
to it by the said tributary stream flow in their 
natural bed past Mausakelle Estate at all times in 
their natural volume and at their level and velocity, 
or that plaintiff has acquired a good title to such 
right, convenience and advantage by prescription. 
5. Defendants deny that in the year 1891 they 
constructed a dam at point B shown in the sketch 
filed with the plaint, and the channel or water-course 
marked Y Y Y Y in the said sketch or that plaintiff 
has suffered any loss or damage whatever by any 
act of the defendants. 
6. The said tributary stream has its sources within 
the boundaries of Bambrakelle estate, - and defen- 
dants say that they, as the owners of land on both 
sides of the said stream «hich rises in their land, are 
entitled to the use of its waters. 
7. By grant from the Crown, Bambrakelle estate, 
belonged to William Rollo and the 3rd defendant, and 
by purchase from William Rollo about 20 years ago, 
the said estate became vested in the defendants as 
the owners thereof. 
8. From and after the year 1870 up to date, the 
waters of the said tributary stream were possessed 
and enjoyed by William Rollo and the. defendants 
for the purpose of working the said estate without 
returning the said waters either to the said tributary 
stream or to the said main stream by means of a 
water-course which is shewn as "old watercourse" 
in the copy plan of Bambrakelle estate herewith field. 
9. In the year 1889 (and not in the year 1891 as 
stated by the plaintiff) the defendants opened another 
water-course shewn as " new water-course" and have 
since used the water conveyed by the new water- 
course also for the purpose of working the said 
estate. 
10. Defendants say that the waters so taken by 
them run into the Wallahapatana Oya which flows 
through plaintiff's estate within a distance of about 
20 yards from his store. 
11. For more than ten years prior to the in- 
stitution of this action defendants possessed and 
enjoyed undisturbedly and uninterruptedly the 
waters of the said tributary stream for the pur- 
pose of working their said state by means 
of both the said water courses without return- 
ing such waters either to the said tributary stream or 
to the said main stream by a title adverse to and 
independent of the plaintiff and all others in terms 
of section 3 of the Ordinance No. XXII of 1871 and 
defendants plead such possession in bar to plaintiffs' 
claim and say that they have acquired by prescription 
a good title to the right, convenience and advantage 
of taking such waters without returning them. 
Defendants pray that plaintiff's action may be 
dismissed with costs. 
(Signed.) C. Vanderwall. 
The above answer was tiled on Thursday the 25th 
inst. On the 26th the plaintiff was to have been 
examined de bene esse, he being about to proceed to 
England. 
When the case was called (both Mr. Sinclair and Mr 
Wiggin being in Court) Mr. Sproule for plaintiff men- 
tioned that plaintiff wished to be present at the trial 
of the action ; that he was leaving for England earlv 
in May and would not be back till January 1896 while 
the case was fixed for hearing on lsitli June. Mr 
Vanderwall consenting, he moved on plaintiff's behalf 
that it be postponed for some date in January or 
February. 
The District Judge asked whether plaintiff would be 
examined dibau esse, and having received a reply in 
the negative, said that when tho case came on on 19th 
June it might then be postponed for March next 
by iou<ent, 
