THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov.  I,  1895. 
may,  in  the  iirst  place  guard  and  protect  that  in- 
dustry \^hich  is  its  chief  source  of  prosperity,  and  I re- 
gret to  see  that  apparently  His  Excellency  has  mis- 
understood the  desire  of  the  Association  as  regards  the 
request  (if  tho  United  Planters’  Association  of  South 
India,  lo  was  the  feeling  of  the  Co  nmittee  who 
passed  the  resolutions  contained  in  the  Secretarj'’s 
letter  of  ihe  19th  instant,  that  the  requests  of 
the  Indian  Association  should  not  be  granted  both 
as  regards  the  removal  of  the  impost  and  the  grant- 
ing of  further  facilities  for  bleiiding  unless  the  Ceylon 
Goveinnient  can  make  such  arrangements  lor 
blending  as  shall  absolutely  prohibit  the  risk  of 
fraud,  and  unless  all  expenses  of  such  arrangements 
be  borne  by  importers  and  there  be  no  risk  of  loss 
or  damage  to  the  Ceylon  tea  enterprise.  In  claim- 
ing this  consideration  I feel  confident  I am  not 
claiming  more  than  is  due  from  any  Government 
towards  the  chief  industry  of  the  country. 
6. — In  consideration,  1 would  nress  also  that  the 
Planting  Community  of  Ceylon  have  for  years  now 
been  spending  time,  labour  and  money  in  pushing  th  dr 
teas  as  Ccyhn  teas  throughout  the  world.  South 
India  having  done  nothing  to.  push  her  own  teas, 
and  any  admission  of  South  Indian  teas  to  Ceylon 
without  absolute  safeguards  that  such  shall  not  be 
re-exported  as  Ceylon  teas  would  be  a distinct  in- 
justice and  injury  to  the  Ceylon  Planting  Commu- 
nity. I therefore  trust  that  His  Excellency  will  not 
grant  the  requests  of  the  United  Planters’  Associa- 
tion of  South  India. — I am,  Ac.,  (Signed)  A.  Mel- 
ville White,  Chairman.  C.  P.  A. 
Colonial  Secretary’s  Office,  Colombo,  September 
80th,  189.5. 
Sir, — Having  laid  before  the  Governor  your  letter  of 
the  28rd  of  September,  1895,  relative  to  the  import 
duty  levied  on  tea,  I am  desired  by  His  Excellency 
to  state  that  the  planters  of  Ceylon  may  rest  as- 
sured that  the  Government  will  do  everything  to  pro- 
tect their  interests.  It  is  not,  however,  politic  to 
withhold  friendly  and  neighbourly  consideration  to  a 
proposal  emanating  from  a country  from  which  the 
planters  draw  their  labour  supply,  and  whose  com- 
petition, if  fairly  and  properly  conducted,  they 
should  not  fear.— .1  am,  (fee.,  (Signed)  H.  L.  CiuwEcnn, 
for  Colonial  Secretary. 
The  Chairman,  Planters’  Association  of  Ceylon. 
Relugas,  Madulkelle,  October  1st,  1895. 
The  Hon.  Colonial  Secretary,  Colombo. 
Sir, — I have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  receipt 
of  your  letter  of  the  .SOth  of  September,  and  in 
reply  desire  to  thank  His  Ex  ellency  the  Governor 
for  the  assurance  that  the  Government  will  do  every- 
thing to  protect  the  interest  of  Ceylon  planters, 
2.  A meeting  of  the  Committee  of  the  Planters’ 
Association  has  been  called  for  the  11th  instant,  at 
which  the  correspondence  will  be  considered,  and 
until  then,  further  reply  on  my  part  seems  unnecessary. 
— I am,  cfec.,  (Signed)  A Melville  White,  Chair- 
man, C.  P.  A. 
Kandy,  October  19th,  1895. 
To  tho  Hon.  the  Colonial-Secretary,  Colombo. 
yir, Having  duly  submitted  to  the  Committee  of  the 
Planters'  Association  at  a recent  meeting  the  corres- 
pondence that  has  passed  on  the  subject  of  the  Im- 
port Duty  levied  on  tea,  I have  now  the  honour 
to  annex,  for  the  information  of  Goveinnient,  copy 
of  the  Resolution  passed  thereon. — I am,  cfec.,  A. 
Philip,  Secretary  to  the  Planters’  Association  of 
Ceylon.  , , . , 
[Resolution  referred  to  :) 
“ That  the  Committee  approves  of  the  Chairman’s 
letters  to  Government  on  the  subject,  and  that  a copy 
of  this  resolution  be  forwarded  to  Government.” 
♦ — 
T’he  LmjoUU  QUK.8TJON. — All  estate  iiruprietor 
of  long  experience  writes 1 am  against  legis- 
lation that  may  tell  in  tlie  wrong  direction  in 
times  of  adversity  ! However,  it  is  a (luestion 
that  is  in  the  air,  and  lias  to  come  loiward  for 
discussion.” 
ARTESIAN  WELL  RORING  IN  CEYLON; 
AND  THE  NEED  OF  A GEOLOGICAL 
SURVEY. 
We  are  asked  if  the  ajiparent  tot.al  failure  to 
obtain  water  by  arlc dun  Iioring  at  Mannar  docs  not 
fiunish  strong  additional  proof  of  the  necessity 
for  a tliorougli  geological  survey  of  the  Island. 
We  are  unaware  of  the  data  upon  w'hich  it  was 
concluded  that  the  .strata  in  and  about  Mannar 
island  affordeil  prospect  of  suc(?ess  to  the  w’ork 
undertaken  and  now'  abandoned  as  being  fruit- 
le.ss.  We  are  not  disposed  to  caiil  at  the  ex- 
penditure, even  if  it  were  only  for  the  sake  of 
experimentaliydng.  Mannar,  like  many  other 
localities  in  Ceylon,  has  a very  deficient  water 
supply,  and  had  the  work  iindertakcn  there 
increased  that  supply,  it  would  not  only 
have  been  of  local  use,  but  would  probably  have 
afforded  experience  that  could  have  been  bene- 
ficially extended.  Ordinarily,  wherever  artesian 
boring  h.as  been  undertaken,  it  has  been  ujion 
knowledge  previously  obtained  as  to  the  lay 
of  the  surrounding  strata  and  the  j)rob.ability 
of  that  to  be  pierced,  confining  a supply  of  the 
jirecious  element.  We  are  unaware  if  any  such 
previous  knowledge  liad  been  olitaincd  in  the  case 
of  Mannar  ; but,  indeed,  we  do  not  see  how'  such 
knowledge  could  have  been  obtained  unless  it  were 
derived  from  a survey  of  the  geological  features 
over  a wide  area.  There  has  long  existed  a 
tradition — which  has  never  been  in  the  least  degree 
verilied — that  the  water  of  the  Jaffna  Peninsula 
is  derived  from  the  Pulney  Hills  in  Southern  India. 
It  is  upon  tliis  tradition  that  the  extraordinary 
diurnal  movement  of  the  water  in  the  cele- 
brated well  at  Pootoor  in  that  ))eninsula  has 
been  accounted  for.  Probably,  it  was  the  impossi- 
bility of  assigning  any  local  cause  for  such  motion 
that  gave  rise  to  tlie  tradition.  And  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that,  to  a certain  extent,  the  conjecture 
is  not  wholly  colourless.  Tiie  intermittence  of 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides  in  this  well,  which 
does  not  at  all  agree  with  the  action  of  the 
tides  on  the  adjacent  coasts,  seems  to  point  to 
some  distinct  ojierating  influence.  How  far  simi- 
lar nhenomena  may  have  been  observed  in  tho 
shallow  wells  about  Mannar  we  hav{?  no  knowledge. 
If  such  are  known,  and  it  has  been  ascertained 
tliat  they  have  no  corres])ondence  with  marine 
tides,  we  should  liold  that  there  were  primafade 
grounds  for  the  hopes  upon  which  the  late  artesian 
boring  was  undertaken.  We  should  be  glad  to 
be  enlightened  as  to  this  matter.  Failing  any 
such  .solution,  we  can  scarcely  comprehend  why 
anticipations  of  success  were  entertained. 
But  certainly  our  querist  is  right  in  his  conclu- 
sion that  tlie  failure  of  an  experiment  which, 
had  it  proved  successful,  miglit  have  conduced 
greatly  towards  an  improvecl  water  sujiply  in 
many  thirsty  districts  of  this  island,  affords  a 
strong  additional  argument  in  favour  of  a Geo- 
logical survey.  Until  this  Survey  be  completed, 
and  it  be,  moreover,  connected  with  that  of  India, 
all  efforts  towards  securing,  among  other  things, 
the  advantages  of  an  extensive  water  supply 
in  our  driest  districts,  must  be  mere  “ leaps  in 
the  dark.”  It  is  not  nece-ssary  that  we  should 
recapitulate  our  previous  arguments  in  favour 
of  such  a survey.  We  content  ourselves  with 
adding  this  additional  one  t(i  those  we  have 
on  jirevious  occasions  set  forth.  And  wo  hope 
ill, at  such  a scheme  may  be  favourably  considered 
by  our  now  Governor  when  he  has  sufficient 
acquaintance  uith  the  island  to  enable  him  to 
correctly  estim, ate  the  value  of  a Geidogical  Survey 
in  a variety  of  directions,  more  ospeci.ally  in  respect 
of  our  jdumbago  mining  and  gemming  industries, 
aiiart  from  the  question  of  artesian  well  boring. 
