Nov.  i,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAI 
AGRICULTURIS  T. 
345 
COCONUT  PALM  ON  FIRE. 
Mr.  Jardine  writes : — “ I never  saw  a coconut 
tree  set  on  lire  by  lii'litninj'  or  meteorite,  though 
I have  seen  liunclreds  killed  by  lightning.” 
Mr.  W.  H.  Wright,  writes  : — 
“ I saw  a tree  some  eight  years  ago  take  fire  from  a 
sky-rocket.  The  tree  is  situated  at  Colombo  in  Regent 
Street,  the  property  belonging  to  Mr.  W.  Vander- 
straaten,  proctor.  I may  say  that  after  a few  months 
I saw  the  same  tree  giving  a very  large  crop  of 
nuts.  I have  taken  this  as  a lesson  ; occasionally 
since,  when  I have  found  a tree  not  giving  crop  I set  fire 
to  it,  so  improving  the  tree  and  forcing  it  into 
crop. — Some  time  ago  I witnessed  a coconut  tree 
taking  fire  from  a flash  of  lightning  and  just  before 
the  rain  came  down  ; but  I never  saw  any  tree  in 
a blaze  during  the  rain,  I suppose  owing  to  the 
trees  being  wet  and  so  the  fire  cannot  ignite." 
CLYDE  TEA  ESTATE  CO.,  LD. 
Incorporation  of  this  Company  with  a capital 
of  RS00,000  divided  into  .*1,000  shares  of  RlOO 
each  has  been  anplied  for  by  Messrs.  .Julius  & 
Creasy.  As  has  been  reported  the  Company  has 
purchased  Clyile,  Kalugnnga  and  Liskillin  estates 
in  the  Kalutara  district. 
MORE  TEA  COMPANIES. 
The  shares  in  the  Ruanwella  Tea  Estate  Coni- 
E'  which  is  to  have  a capital  of  R20O,0OO  have 
privately  sub.scribed  more  than  twice  over. 
Ruanwella  belonged  to  Mrs.  C.  R.  Deane,  J.  B. 
Lindsay  and  T.  N.  Christie,  but  has  "been  sold 
by  them  to  the  promoters  of  the  Company. 
There  are  358  acres  in  tea  out  of  a total  of 
570  acres. 
We  also  learn  that  the  Ederapolla  and 
Ardross  Estates,  in  the  Kelani  Valley,  are  being 
formed  into  a Company,  with  sterling  capital. 
Messrs.  Lyall  Anderson  Company,  16,  Philpot  Lane 
are  to  be  Secretaries  and  Agents.  The  estates 
•are  to  be  taken  over  on  1st  J.anuary.  The  ven- 
dors take  a large  proportion  of  the  shares,  and 
the  balance  was  taken  uj)  at  once,  privately. 
Ardross  belonged  to  Mr.  Macmartin  and  has  212 
acres  in  tea  out  of  294.  Ederapolla  belonged  to 
Messrs.  Jas.  Bett  and  A.  Watt  with  395  acres  tea 
out  of  526  acres. 
PROSPECTING  IN  CEYLON. 
(By  an  Old  Ceylon  Planter.) 
Three  decades  and  more  have  passed  away,  since 
first  I went  “ Prospecting  ’’  in  the  Central  Province 
of  Ceylon.  For  many  years,  as  far  as  I remember, 
Government  had  not  advertized  in  the  Gazette  any 
extensive  forest  lands  for  sale,  si  i .able  for  the  cultiva- 
tien  of  the  fragrant  berry  ; but  towards  the  end  of  the 
fifties,  rather  large  blocks  of  1 nJ  of  virgin  forest 
were  advertized  for  sale  in  the  Ligalla  district,  and 
1 determined  to  have  a look  at  them,  with  a view 
to  purchase  ; true  it  was  that  evil  reports  had  been 
circulated  about  Kandy  to  the  effect  that  the  whole 
of  the  Lagalla  district  was  moie  or  less  exposed  to 
violent  and  continuous  gales  at  certain  times  of  the 
year. 
A JOUHNEY  BY  COACH. 
But  “ seeing  is  believing,”  and  so  a friend  and  I 
one  fine  breezy  morning  took  our  seats  in  the  old 
coach,  that  trundled  into  Matale  in  those  days 
daily  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  to  the  hour.  Two  fat 
Tambys  sat  their  shaky  and  unctuous  figures  in  the 
coach,  and  looked  as  if  they  had  been  fed  on  ghee 
and  olive  oil  all  their  days.  Nevertheless  they  were 
mortals,  and  Moors  seemed  to  enjoy  the  journey 
greatly,  chatting  in  Tamil  with  each  other  and  offer- 
ing one  another  short  cigars,  which  are  generally 
called  “ Jaffnas”  in  Ceylon,  and  are  found  only  in  the 
native  bazaars  for  sale. 
43 
The  journey  from  Kandy  to  Matale  town  was  a 
leasanc  one,  and  in  places  the  high  road  was  shaded 
y over-hanging  boughs,  beaded  with  pearly  tears 
soon  to  be  dissolved  by  the  growing  morning.  Before 
leaving  Kandy  town  we  had  elected  to  leave  our 
horses  under  the  care  of  Jacob  of  ancient  renown, 
as  we  did  not  wish  to  risk  them  in  unknown  and 
unroaded  regions. 
THE  MATALE  BESTHOUSE 
was  the  spot  where  the  coach  pulled  up.  The  hotel 
had  a most  uninviting  appearance  for  travellers — 
.shabby  without  and  dingy  within.  The  landlord,  a 
tall,  rickety-looking  man,  graciously  informed  us  that 
breakfast  was  on  the  table,  and  waiting  for  us,  visions 
of  the  inevitable  estew,  rose  up  before  one, — often 
concocted  as  it  was  then  of  aged  buffalo  beef,  swim- 
ming in  a mass  of  half.frozen  or  half.melted  fat 
of  an  inferior  quality.  It  was  soon  off  the  table, 
and  our  landlord  informed  us  that  it  was  made  from 
elk  flesh, — but  certain^  it  had  the  feel  to  the  palate 
of  stewed  sponge ! Then  we  had  curry  and  rice ; 
but  alas  1 the  koHe  had  purloined  the  cream  of  the 
coconut,”  and  left  us  only  the  saffron  and  aroma- 
tics. It  was  as  harsh  as  a rasp  and  indigestible  as  a 
cucumber.  Having  duly  blessed  the  kekie,  landlord 
and  resthouse,  we  mounted  the  sorry  steeds  that 
were  waiting  for  us  outside  the  front  gate  and  left 
the  spot.  You  can  easily  believe  that 
BESTHOUSE  QUADRUPEDS 
are  not  high-flyers  as  a rule,  but  the  gallant  grey 
and  vicious-looking  tat  pony,  with  a coat  as  rough 
as  a file  and  as  red  as  rust,  that  waited  for  us 
were  the  veriest  bags  of  bones  I have  ever  seen 
offered  to  two  fat  coffee  planters  to  ride  on.  The  grey 
animal  seemed  as  if  his  bony  body  was  lifted  up  on 
stilts  and  Bob  the  tat,  had  a mouth  so  hard,  that  nothing 
but  an  Indian  bit  with  points  all  around  could  hold 
him  in  when  he  chose  to  nave  a spree ! There  was  no 
use  complaining,  and  so  I mounted  upon  the  top 
of  the  grey,  and  my  cheerful  companion  strode  the 
Indian  tat,  As  we  thumped  along  the  ilbpaved 
street^  of  Matale  town,  I thought  of  King  Richard 
and  little  John,  as  portrayed  in  ray  school  history 
book  long  ago.  And  then  fugitive  ideas  crowded  my 
brain  and  I wondered  if  the  jackals  would  have  a 
meal  off  our  fleshless  nags  in  the  Lagalla  jungles. 
Bah!  it  was  too  ridiculous  altogether.  At  last  we 
passed  over  the  new  iron  bridge  and  then  hobbled 
into  the 
HAMLET  OF  RATOTA. 
By  the  time  we  topped  the  East  Matale  coffee  estates 
there  was  an  aggravating  sun  overhead,  and  anon 
G.W.’s 
FAVOURITE  COFFEE  ESTATES 
were  all  before  us.  What  a surprise  they  were,  with 
the  primaries  of  the  coffee  trees  pruned  so  severely 
that  in  my  native  country  they  would  have  been 
called  by  the  factory  lads,  switches.  ” Famous  estates 
indeed,”  said  my  genial  friend  ; “ Why,  I would  not 
exchange  my  little  totum  for  one  of  these  hungry- 
looking  places,  and  I have  a shrewd  guess  that  G.W. 
will  bury  many  a British  sovereign  in  them  before 
he  has  done  with  them.”  At  last  we  managed  with 
difficulty  to  reach  the  last  estate  of  the  district  from 
which  we  could  discern  the 
LAGALLA  RANGE  OF  HILLS 
in  the  distance,  and  made  for  the  bungalow  of  the 
planter  that  was  known  to  have  two  good  tats,  which 
we  hoped  he  would  let  us  have  lor  the  nonce. 
“Come  in,”  he  said,  “ and  take  pot  luck.  I see  you 
have  jaded  brutes  under  you.  Come  in  and  wet 
your  whittles.  Where  are  you  going  t®  ?”  “ Oh  I to 
the  jungle  lots  that  are  for  sale  shortly  in  Lagalla  ?” 
“ Well,  they  are  over  yon  range  of  hills  some  half 
dozen  miles  away,  but  with  my  galloways  you  can 
mount  the  crest  of  the  hills  before  the  sun  goes 
down  and  reach  the  only  shanty  in  the  district,  where 
you  will  find  an  old  blue-jacket,  and  he  will  only  be 
too  glad  to  give  you  lodgings  for  the  night.  Then 
early  in  the  morn  you  start  for  your  diggings,  and  I 
will  have  the  ponies  sent  for  you  by  breakfast  time.” 
As  we  leached  the  road  over  the  top  of  the  hills 
and  returned  the  ponies,  we  entered  into  dense  forest 
and  following  a jungle  path  tried  to  find  out  the  new 
clearing  where  the  jolly  sailor  lived. 
