June 1, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
835 
GOLD IN GBYLON. 
We would offer a word of caution both to 
the Government and to the hero of the present 
exploitation of Ceylon for gold. Much has 
happened since we compiled, from every 
available source and authority we could 
find at the time, our little work on "Gold, 
Gems, and Pearls in Ceylon." Never- 
theless, we would venture to commend 
the perusal of its pages, so far as "gold" 
is concerned, to Captain Reilly as showing 
him how often, by experienced miners as 
well as by scientific and amateur authorities, 
Ceylon lias been pronounced an auriferous 
countrv with paying deposits in our river- 
beds, or better still with payable quartz reefs, 
if only they could be got at. E'irst of all, 
it is well to bear in mind the adage of 
a leading Colombo merchant in his day, 
good old Robert Dawson, who was accus- 
tomed to sav, as the result of his 40 years' 
observation "in Southern India and Ceylon : 
—"Gold, gold— why, of course, there is gold 
— the very coolies "when they have no work, 
go and wash in the nearest stream and 
sometimes make as much as two fanams 
(12;^ cents) a day, and it is on record that a 
man once made foul- fanams " ! Nevertheless, 
we, of course, know that Kangala, Ramboda. 
Ruanwella, &c., indicate where the King of 
Kandy got some of the gold in his treasury 
and jewellery, undoubtedly collected for 
him within his own territory ; but at what 
expense of labour and even life, who can 
say? We know, however, that during the 
coffee depression, leading London Firms 
and their Colombo Agents, acting on the 
very best advice available, spent much money 
in blasting and mining into our quartz 
rocks and reefs in different locations ; but 
with no result to speak of. Then came 
Sir Samuel Baker to trace the "home" 
(the matrix) high up in our rock and mountain 
system, of our sapphires and rubies 
as well as gold ; and we know how he and 
Mr. LeMesurier worked and wandered ; but 
with absolutely no result. Nevertheless, we 
should be very sorry to discourage Capt. Reilly 
unduly ; but' we think it a public duty to 
warn the Government since there is, per- 
haps, few members of the Executive or 
Provincial Agency, who have had personal ex- 
perience, in any particular districts, of the 
"gold fever" of the sixties, seventies and 
eighties-the first outburst w^as in the early 
fifties. The first real step to progress in regard 
to the development of our mineral wealth is 
through a Geological Survey. 
A NEW MANURE : BASIC SUPFPo- 
PHOSPHATE. 
We have received a pamphlet on a new 
ferciliser from Mr. John Hughes— the well- 
known Agricultural Clienust— accompanied 
bv a small saiiiple, which can be seen at our 
office, and the following letter ;— 
" Loudon, E.G., Apvd 18. 
" I send you oopy ot a p:\\)ec rearl on tiie 
1st instant at llnrlington House before the Soniety 
ot Cheniiciil Industry on my nsw manure, Basic 
Superphosphate. Favourable notices have already 
appeared in The Times, April 8th ; the Dublin 
Farmers' Gazette, April 6tli ; the Morning Post, 
April lUrh ; the Standard, April 16th ; the Field 
(page 522) April 13tii. I enclose you also a small 
speciinea that you may see the material which, 
though only in vented last November, is now being 
mfide by si.x of the largest manure firms in the 
United I{!ingdom. Already the manure has be3n 
shipped to Calcutta, Mauritius, Domerara and 
Trinidad. You will see wliat a fine dry powder 
it is." 
From the pamphlet we make one extract :— 
Its USK a.s a Manurh.— Basic super is not in- 
tended to su|ier.sedB ordinary superphosphate on 
good arable iaad containing plenty of lime, but 
is intended to be applied on soils that are 
eitlier deficient in lime or contain an excessive 
quantity of vegetable acids .such as sour pastures 
do. It is also recommended as specially suitable as 
a fertiliser for turnips grown on land subject to the 
disease known as " hnper and toe." Manure manu- 
facturers have suffered seriously from competition 
with basic slag hecau'^e oa sour grass land acid 
manures were unsuccessful, but now by the simple 
addition of slaked lime, ordinary superphosphate can 
be converted into a manure particularly adapted to 
all sour soils. 
The manure is known as " Hughes' Patent" : 
no doubt local Agents will be appointed and 
the article diily advertised. 
NUWARA ELIYA FISHING CLUB. 
A ae'ieral meeting of the Ceylon Fishing Club 
was held on the 8th May, at the Hill Club, Nuwara 
Eliya, preceded by a meeting of the Managing 
Committee— the whole lasting nearly 3 hours. 
MANAGING COMMITTEE MELTING. 
At the meeting of the Managing Committee, 
there were present Messrs. E M de C Short, 
(Chairman), C H Bitjot, Jeifries, Maselield, T 
Fai r, C A Johnson, Major Hilniau and J Eraser, 
(Secretary). 
Mr. Fraser's letter of resignation, desiring 
that Mr. Maselield should take his place, 
was placed before the meeting. Mr. Maselield was 
unwilling to take up the post, in spite of its being 
urged that he was more conveniently situated for 
the post ; and, Mr. Eraser agreeing, his resigna- 
tion was witlidravvn. 
A letter from Mr. W F Dew, complaining that 
Ambawela hail not had its fair share of fry and 
asking that the distribution be handed o"er from 
the Managing to the General Ooinmittee, was the 
subject of considerable discussion and was referred 
to the general meeting which then followed, 
GENERAL MEETING. 
Those pi'esent all remained for the General Meet- 
ing which followed, their number beinsr added to by 
the appearance oi Messrs. C De Wiuton and J 
Wick war later on, 
r-KTTKU FROM MASKELIYA FISHING CLUB. 
The Cha'ir.man read the following letter from 
the Maskeliya Fishing Club. 
11th February 1901. 
The ITonv. Secy., Ceylon Fishine; Club, Nuwara Eliya. 
Deak Sir, — I am requesteiJ by the Committee of 
the above Club to write and inform you that they 
understand that the original agreeraeut between fba 
iilaskeliya Fishing Club and the Ceylon Fishing Ciub, 
as to membership and the grants of fry, no longer 
holds good, and that all future supplies of fry for 
the streams here, must be purchased by the Mas- 
keliya Fishing Club, the members of the Maskeliya 
