THE TROPieAL AGRICULTURIST. [Feb. 1, 1902, 
PROFESSOR HERDMAN, F-R.S. 
We give a hearty welcome to Ceylon to 
this distinguished scientist and his Assistant, 
Mr. James Hornell, and express the hope that 
their connection with the island may prove 
a pleasant, satisfactory and, indeed, emin- 
ently successful one. At the same time we 
most fully recognise the great difficulties 
and uncertainty which must attend the 
very important investigation and " culture " 
experiments entrusted to Professor Herdinan 
in connection with our Pearl Oyster Fishery. 
All that science and experience can do, will, 
we may be sxive, be done under his direc- 
tion, and then as to results we must all 
hope for the best ; while Mr. Herdman and 
his Assistant may tell us : — 
"'lis not in mortals to command success ; 
Bat we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it. 
« 
W. D. CAROLIS' GREAT CEYLON 
LEATHER TRADE. 
AN ENTERPRISING AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS. 
Slowly, but undoubtedly and surely, do the 
native capitalists of Ceylon seem to be acquirinj^ 
the taste for comniercial enterprise and that their 
efforts do not run in one groove is well-known ; but 
many perhaps are not aware that Ceylon amongst 
its various enterprises, carries on a comparatively 
large trade in hides and leather with other 
Countries — a trade which has been almost 
entirely developed and maintained by one 
ft m of Sinhalese merchants, the well-known 
W D Carolis, Hearing that after the recent 
Paris Exposition, trade between Ceylon and 
other countries had increased in variou-s articles, 
not to mention tea, a representative of this journal 
called at the leading "leather" house in Ceylon 
on Friday and was shown round the premises. 
To begin with, it should be mentioned that the 
firm of W D Carolis, has, by reason of its very 
extensive business, been carrying on trade in 
Kandy and Galle with head offices at JNo 18, 
Kay man's Gate, Pettah. 
A FULLY STOCKED WAREHOUSE. 
At the Kayman's Gate warehouse one was 
surprised to see the amount and variety of leather 
and other articles stocked for sale and export 
purposes. Here was to be found the well-known, 
but expensive "Russian calf" exported together 
with high quality leathers from England and 
Austria in order to supply the varied demands 
of its customers. A large amount ot English 
black kid leather was carefully stocked in cases 
together with fine-coloured leather called skivers 
for book-binding puri)oses. Fine Russian leathers 
with black and white English kid for boots and 
shoes hardly surpassed the excellent show made 
by the country manufacture of these leathers 
in Mr Carolis' own tannery. The black and 
hrown country-calf seemed of excellent quality 
and in great demand locally as well as abroad. 
Spef'ial mention should, however, be made of the 
varieiy of fancy leathers procurable here. For 
instance, our representative was shown a crocodile 
skin cuied and tanned in the lirm's own tannery. 
It ))respnted quite leathery properties, 
all the scales being softened so as to make 
the skin very pliable. These skins are said 
to be used for hand-bags, belts and even 
boots and shoes. Then there were cheetah ekins 
and goat hides with bristles cured to a nicety 
and adapted for rugs and door mats. English 
buck-skin is exceedingly well imitated in a clever 
preparation ofcountiy elk hide cured and refined 
to such an extent that, to the uninitiated, it would 
appear to be the same as the imported article. 
This elk-hide is to be got in light brown and 
white colours and is largely used for boots and 
shoes. The skin of a large scaly field 
lizard of Ceylon shown liere is !-aid 
to have taiten over a couple of monllis 
in the tanning. Then there was a stock of stout 
hides for machine belting, harness and such pur- 
poses. In order to make the establishment com- 
plete there was also a large stock of shoemakers' 
tools of various kinds and qualities, boot trees of 
all sizes and English make, and boot dressing. The 
varied nature of the orders received made it 
necessary long ago to establish 
A HARDWARE DEPoT, 
in No. 16, Sea Street where a large amount of 
carriage building requisites are available as well 
as other building articles, A special feature of 
of this depot is the large and varied stock of 
paints available. En.imel paints and the dry 
article are imported regularly from England direct 
from thegreat worksof Aepinall's and other houses, 
some of the paints beint; consigned sole.y to 
Mr W D Carolis. Amongst the ai tides 
sold here is also a large stock of estate tools and 
hardware such as enamelled household vessels, and 
here are also carriage varnishes of difi'-ren t 
qualities, brass cabinet furniture in a large varieiy, 
different cloths for upholstering purposes, oil cloths, 
brushes, mixed paints and even carriage shafts, 
not to speak of the many housebuilding requisites 
such as nails and screws, locks, window glasses, &c, 
A BOOT EMPORIUM. 
If the large shoe depot at No. 110, 
Main Street, Pettah, known as the 
Oriental Boot Emporium and belonging to 
Mr. W D Caroiis, were established lor the 
sole purpose of advertising its leathers by manu- 
facture, then its purpose happens to have been 
easily gained for not only does the clever staff 
of Indian workmen here turn out some excellently 
made "feet clothing" for exhibition, but a brisk 
and profitable business is also done by them. 
THE LEATHER MANUFACTORIES. 
The increasing demands of the trade only re- 
cently made it necessary for the firm to purchase 
a second tannery in order to retain its custom- 
ers and over K20,000 is said to have been spent 
in purchasing a large tannery in Kandy, a place 
not unknown to leather merchants. But by far 
the most important portion of the business 
of this enterprising firm is carried on at 
I3ambalabitiya where is 
THE LARGEST LEATHER MANUFACTORY IN 
THE ISLAND 
This establishment is situated in fifteen 
acres of ground and the numerous 
buildings and pits where the important process 
of tanning is carried on cover over seven acres. 
There are about four large buildings in which 
are numerous cemented pits where the raw hide 
are put together with what is known as rewa-bark 
or cassia auriculata for the purpose of colouring 
and softening. About 100 hides are- tanned 
in each pit, the process lasting from three 
weeks to two months, It was ascertained that 
