Skpt. 1, 1898.} 
THE TROPICAL 
AGPJCULTURIST. 
149 
Darley ; Wavendon, Tattersall and Lang ; Ilani- 
boda, Smith ; Bluefields and Rangboda, Col. 
Fraser ; Pallagolla, Kelson and Cjaistin ; Kamle- 
galle, E. R Bower. Some of these ownerships 
must date from well on in the " fortie=i " ; for 
next to Colonel Fraser, we find entered Bird and 
Sabonadiere 1845. Then away to the East of 
Delta, lieyond the Attabage-oya, Mr. Sabonadir-re 
pencilled in a block belonging to " Rev. Owen 
Glenie "; Pooprassie, a larga block bought by 
Gray &Co., Bombay, and which included Torring. 
ton, 1810 41 " (we take it, howevei-, the name 
Toriington was applied after the arrival of 
Governor Lord Torrington in 1847); " Hannagalla, 
Gedde3 ; Galloway- Knowe, ''Miller, the Bombay 
Dentist," both dating from 1843- 1. '' Boyond this, 
MacCulloch's Land, now the Le Vallon Group." 
Farther South, there ran " Newmarket and Stellen- 
berg originally Kandalawewa, the two Armands, 
representing an English house in Paris;" 
" Kandelaweva, Alston ; Poodjagodde, Fisher ; 
Eyrie, W. Keir ; Balleywan, Lyon Fraser and 
Sheriff." We cannotresist reprinting thecontentsof 
this sketch of the district properties as they were 
from 53 to 60 years ago, farst, because it is in Mr. 
Sabonadiere's own pencilling ; secondly, because of 
the many old names recalled ; but chiefly because 
it indicates the early development of what was 
long regarded as the Premier Coll'ee planting 
Division ot Ceylon and with whose fortune the 
names of the Messrs. Sabonadiere were so long and 
so creditably connected. 
To return to the career of the young planter- 
pioneer : five years of steady hard ivork followed, 
and then Mr. F. R. Sabonadiere went home ; and at 
the age of 21 married Miss Emily Murray, 
daughter of General Murray. On his return to the 
island in 1814, he took charge of Wahagapitiya 
estate, Pussellawa, and here he continued, until, 
in 1852, he was appointed to the management of 
Delta estate. In the interval, Mr. Sabonadiere 
lost his wife who died of consumption at 
Jaffna, whither she had been removed to try and 
check the fell disease. Soon after entering on 
the management of Delta, Mr. Sabonadiere built 
the fine large lesidence which has ever since 
marked the property. This, at first, lie shared 
with Mr.Straube, the then Agent of Baron Delinar, 
proprietor of the estate ; but the latter soon after 
retired leaving Mr. F. R. Sabonadiere in full 
charge. 
It is time now that we said something of the 
start in life of the younger brother. Only nine 
years old when his mother returned to Guernseyi 
William was sent to a private school , and after- 
wards to Elizabeth College. Just six yearsyounger 
tliJ^n Frank, he started for Ceylon (uo doubt en- 
couraged by the success of his elder brother) exactly 
at the s'ame age and arrived in ISlo a lad of 
sixteen to begin a iilanting career. Our local in- 
formation went to shew that the first eraploymeufc 
of Mr. W. A. Sabonadiere was under the Messrs. 
Rudd on Bowlana estate, Hewalicta ; but we have 
in our possession the last letter he wrote to us from 
Jamaica in 1893, in which he alludes to the start 
of his planting career in Ceylon, 51 years before as 
on "Imbulpitiya and Wahagapitiya in July 1845." 
The latter meant that he got some of his first 
lessons and start under his elder brother as was 
natural. Probably he went to Bowlana when 
qualified to take charge and continued sonis 
years in Hewaheta, until called to the manage- 
nient of Glenloch, Pussellawa and Ramboda 
where, in Choisy, he and his brother acquired 
proprietary interests. There is in fact only the 
usual planting routine of opening and managing 
estates to record up till 1858-9, when Mr. AVm. 
Sabonadiere returned liome, and met Miss Sarah 
Portal his future wife, with whose family he 
passed a summer in Guernsey ; they were married 
n 1860 and returned to Ceylon to reside on 
Glenloch which Mr. Wni. Sabonadiere continued 
to manage, while developing Choisy. More than 
one trip home occurred in the " sixties " and he 
was in England in 1869, when he got the 
appointment of Manager of Delta in succession 
to his brother. He returned at once with his 
wife and two children and continued in charge 
till 1875. 
In the early "sixties," the district of Pussellawa 
may be described as flourishing exceedingly. Our 
first visit was in 1865 on our way to Nuwara 
Eliya and we had for our companion through 
the district old Geo. Sheriff of Helbodde on his 
way to visit John Lewis Gordon on Wavendon 
who had not been very well. Full of reminis- 
cences, iMr. Sherift' pointed out to us the ditt'erent 
properties, so well known by name : Melfort so well 
cared for by the " Rev. John" (Martin) lately passed 
away. Rothschild with its hedges of roses, so long 
the property of the Messrs. Worms who always 
cultivated highly, as indeed did their successors, 
the Ceylon Company, Limited, under the guidance 
of Mr. Wm. RoUo. Delta Store stood out as if 
commanding the whole district, and Mr. F. R. 
Sabonadiere was clearly recognised as not only 
the most experienced, but the leading planter 
in the countryside. A more delightful residential 
district there could not be than Pussellawa, with 
its healthy climate, average temperature of 65 
degrees, its wide outlook of country and beauti- 
ful and varied scenery abundance of pasturage 
for cattle, good roads — Delta alone having some 
15 miles of cartroad and 20 miles of good bridle- 
paths within its bounds, affording deligtittul and 
