THE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
Dec.  2,  1895.1 
foresee  that  lamps  will  bo  made  in  the  recipient 
of  which,  in  place  of  oil,  a lump  of  acetylene  will 
bo  placed  in  the  water;  this  would  bo  the  downfall 
of  kerosene  and  gas,  as  well  as  of  electric  light  ?” 
SOME  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  ExUILY  DAYS 
IN  CEYLON. 
[IIY  MU.  1!.  t:.  LEWIS— A PIONEEU  PLANTEIl  IN 
THE  EARLY  “ EORTIES  ” AND  AFTERWARDS 
COLOMBO  MERCHANT.] 
The  writer's  recollections  commence  in 
THE  YEAH,  1841, 
when  Sir  Colin  Campbell  was  Governor  of  Ceylon.  It 
was  then  ceasing  to  be  merely  a military  depen- 
dency of  the  British  Crown,  but  was  becoming  a Colony, 
while  Mercantile  and  Planting  enterprise  were  be- 
ginning to  develop.  It  is  not  intended  to  give  a 
History  of  the  e enterprises,  but  something  m ly  be 
said  us  to  the  ci.usoe  tor  ihis  change.  In  a tvord, 
it  W'as  tin-  ahoiiuoii  cf  differential  duties  on  colfce, 
which  had  been  impo-ed  on  the  produce  of  Foreign 
Countries  and  even  on  thr.t  of  oer  own  posseeoions 
in  ia', or  of  the  Vv e.-l  Iiiuies. 
In  these  days,  wh  >n  few  middle-class  families  have 
not  some  fi-ienct  or  relation  connected  with  the  Island, 
it  may  sound  strau:-e,  that  Ceylon  in  the Forties” 
was  very  often  confounded  with  Sierra  Leone,  and 
intending  voyagers  v.ere  sympathised  with  as  going  out 
to  one  of  the  most  unhealthy  countries  in  the  world. 
As  early  as  1837 — perhaps  earlier — some  few  plant- 
ations had  been  comm.enced ; the  Governor  Sir  Edward 
Barnes  had  himself  opened  land  near  Peradeniya, 
rendered  possible  by  the  opening  of  the  road  to 
Kandy  under  his  energetic  rule. 
PLANTINO 
was  very  experimental  in  those  days,  and  much 
capital  was  wasted,  by  planting  in  unsuitable  situ- 
ations. The  great  rush  for  land  however  began  in 
1841  and  land  was  then  readily  sold  by  the  Govern- 
ment at  5s  an  acre,  as  a reference  to  the  Government 
Gazette  for  that  year  will  show.  Unhappily  much 
land  was  bought  and  planting  commenced  by  Civil 
Servants  and  Military  men  and  much  disaster  fol- 
lowed leading  to  regulations  which  have  lately  been 
revised  prohiDiting  such  investments.  Experience  in 
cultivation  and  linance  had  to  be  acquired,  wanting 
which  many  proprietors  were  ruined  and  bv  the  year 
1847  few  estates  remained  in  the  bands  of  the  original 
owners.-  Experience  at  last  came, — nob  a little  assisted 
by  tiie  local  press,  t 'lvough  which  every  improvement 
became  common  jroperty,  producing  valuable  dis- 
cussion. Vv  - ve  alter  wave  of  aitevnate  prosperity 
and  depression  have  characterised  the  Enteipuse  up 
to  the  time  when  Ceffee  bad  to  give  place  to '..of.. 
In  those  narlr  davi  fne 
> OCtETV 
outside  the  Civil  rnd  Military  ofnceis  was  very 
limited.  A lew  merebants  had  officers  in  the  Fort 
where  their  af-sistants  mostiy  liveu  to  protect  ihe 
hard  cash  in  the  sti  tng  loom  ; no  Bank  having  been 
established  until  1841,  when  the  “Bank  of  Leylou 
was  opened.  Theie  was  no  decent  hotel  in  those 
times  ; the  Colombo  Besthouse  would  now  be  a disgrace 
to  an  outstation  ; but  there  was  much  hospitality  to 
strangers,  and  Captioins  of  ships  were  always  enter- 
tained by  the  merchants,  to  whom  their  vessels  were 
consigned.  Admission  to  the  use  of  the  Library 
with  the  privilege  of  attending  the  dances  everj 
fortnight,  was  by  ballot.  There  were  then  two  Regi- 
ments of  Royal  Troops  besides  the  Ceylon  Rifles, 
Artillery  and  Gun  Lascars.  Not  long  before  there 
had  been 
FOUR  REGIMENTS, 
stationed  in  the  isiand.  With  the  influx  of  new 
people,  houses  and  furniture  were  wanted  and  except 
old  Dutch  furniture  ;n  the  houses  of  Burghers, — often 
very  handsome  and  made  of  valuable  woods,—  there 
was  little  to  be  had,  except  a few  articles  manufac- 
tured outside  and  brought  in  for  sale  on  pingoes  chiefly, 
381 
It  was  not  ail  uncommon  thing  for  somebody  to  say 
to  another  about  to  leave  the  island  : — “ I am  sorry 
you  aro  going  away, 
HAVE  YOU  ANY  FURNITURE  TO  SELL  ? ” 
Not  only  furniture  but  geutlemcL’s  and  ladies’ cloth- 
ing articles  were  difficult  to  obtain,  be.oud  plain 
things  winch  could  bo  made  by  local  tailors 
and  needlewomen.  The  Wiiter  not  knowing  what 
head  covering  might  be  worn,  brought  out  with 
him  a silk  hat  costing  fis  8d  which  was  ad- 
mired by  all  beholders : many  were  the  enquiries 
“Where  did  you  get  your  hat?”  At  that  time 
tho  Colonial  Secret  .ry  was  wearing  a heaver,  the 
color  of  a fox's  brush.  Soon  after,  things  changed 
by  a curious  circumstance.  A new  Chief  Justice 
came  out  and  in  his  train  a Scotch  gentleman,  who 
practised  as  a notary  afterwards  and  later  on  as  a 
magistrate  at  an  outstation.  His  wife,  with  an  eye 
to  the  main  chanco,  brought  with  her  an  invoice  of 
ladyies’  goods  which  were  sold  off  at  once.  This  lady 
saw  at  a glance  tho  nakedness  of  the  land  and  having 
a brother  in  the  drapery  trade,  communicated  her 
views  to  him.  which  resulted  in  the  estphiishuumt  of 
n't 
L STi'-iU' 
of  high  characin  ai.d  whi  li  oeieli’sted  its  jubilee 
only  is-ieij . Retail  busiuess  by  Euiopeans  has  since 
progres.  ed  largely  in  all  its  braiicheu.  One  01  tho 
most  pressing  wants  at  that  time  was 
ROADS  IN  THE  INTERIOR. 
The  Kandy,  the  Kuruegalle,  theGalie,  the  Qampola, 
the  Negombo,  the  Putlam  and  the  Matale  roads  alone 
existed.  Estates  which  did  not  adjoin  these  roads 
were  reached  at  best  by  bridlepaths,  but  most  often 
by  a mere  track  through  jungle  over  rock  and  river 
which  caused  those  clever  and  sure-footed  Pegu 
ponies  to  be  in  great  request, — rice  and  stores  reach- 
ing the  estates  by  coolies  and  tavelam  bullocks.  The 
facilities  for  locomotion  now  enjoyed  independently 
of  railways,  are  chiefly  due  to  the  late  Major  Skinner 
and  his  able  assistant  Capt.  Evatt  and  his  subordi- 
nates. There  were  then  mail  coaches  (so-called)  on 
the  Kandy  and  Galle  roads  which  started  daily  at 
morning  gun-fire.  Our  merchants  were  few ; 
the  business  of  coffee  curing  and  shipping  had 
not  then  come  into  existence ; nor  had  the 
trade  in  piece  goods  and  European  articles 
been  developed  by  the  circulation  of  money  on 
the  plantations.  A merchant  leaving  for  Europe 
would  be  always  accompanied  to  the  Wharf  by  hU 
brother  merchants.  Intercourse  with  Europeans  was 
then  almost  entirely  by 
SAILING  SHIPS  ; 
merchandise  and  produce  coming  and  going  in  the 
same  way.  Mr.  'Wm.  Tindall  of  London  and  Scar- 
bo  lough  was  the  owner  of  nearly  all  the  vessels 
which  traded  with  Ceylon  ; their  Commanders  being 
well-known  men  well  received  everywhere.  Any 
one  who  wished  to  use  the  OverLaucl”  llouto  orga- 
uLc'd  by  "VyasihorH,  wouid  go  up  to  Bombay  by  our 
iiitle  m lii-'teaiuei,  “Seauc  tii'  going  on  by  Indian 
Navy  siei'incr  to  Sv- ’A,  s - .i  -i'.OHce  iu  a verv  rough 
way  across  tijederot'.  toOoiio  and  to  .'i.lfxanc.ria  and 
onvvarus.  O.ir  (./verla'id  Maris  came  in  aiid  went 
out  once  a mouth.  D -.img  the  moasooa  liiev  were 
brought  down  by  Dak  trom  Bombay.  I,,  the  'No:th- 
East  monsoon  they  came  by  the  Colonial  steamer 
“ Seaforth”  from  Bombay.  The  arrival  of  the 
ENGLISH  MAIL 
was  a very  exciting  thing;  for  it  happened  mostly, 
that  the  outward  mail  had  to  be  despatched  in  a 
matter  of  hours  after.  Perhaps  there  is  no  European 
now  living  in  Cej'lon  who  remembers  the  arrival  of 
the  mail  announcing  the  birth  of  H.  R.  H.  the 
Piince  of  Wales  and  the  Breach  promotion  in  1841.  On 
that  occasion  after  the  steamer  was  signalled.  Civilians 
Military  and  Rerc.intile  men  were  at  the  Wharf 
awaiting  the  Captain  of  the  steamer  to  land. 
When  he  came,  he  announced  to  the  recipients 
themselves  their  new  hooouis.  That  gentleman  after 
a prosperous  career  as  a merchant  in  Colombo  is 
now  at  a good  old  age,  living  near  Loudon.  The 
passage  of  the  mail  was  then  about  a month— pos- 
sibly more— for  when  Capt.  Ingledew  the  Pioneer  of 
the  P.  (fe  0.  Company,  brought  letters  to  Galle  in  tb« 
