<A  MONTHLY.  I> 
Vol.  XVI.]  COLOMBO,  July  ist,  1896.  [No.  1. 
CEYLON  AND  ITS  RESOURCES. 
THE  COLONY’S  CENTENARY. 
INTERVIEW  WITH  MR.  J.  L.  SHAND. 
[By  Our  Special  Commis.sionee.] 
HO  that  has  read  up  the  history 
of  the  British  Empire  or  has 
travelled  round  the  world  has 
not  fallen  in  love  with  Ceylon 
— the  “ pendent  jewel  of  India  ” 
— the  “gem  of  the  Indian 
Ocean,”  with  its  varied  cli- 
mate, its  luxurious  vegetation, 
its  tropical  products,  its  grand 
scenery,  and  its  interesting  native  populaiion  1 Its 
wry  antiquity  makes  it  exceptionally  interesting  to 
the  student  of  liter itire.  The  g-eat  Indian  epic, 
“ The  Rdmiyaua,”  has  a chapter  describing  Ceylon 
at  least  ten  centuries  before  the  Christan  era,  but 
the  authentic  history  of  the  island  begins  at  the 
fifth  century  b.c.,  when  an  Aryan  invasion  from 
the  valley  of  the  Ganges  established  the  Sinhaleie 
dynasty.  Visited  in  the  early  days  by  the  Greeks, 
Romans,  and  Venetians,  the  Portuguese  formed 
settlements  on  the  west  and  south  of  the  island  in 
1505,  but  i ) the  next  century  they  were  dispossessed 
by  the  Dutch.  A hundred  ye.ars  ago  last  Monday 
— February  17— C ylon  passed  under  the  authority 
and  protection  of  the  B -itish  Crown,  and  no  doubt 
the  centenary  of  this  interesting  colony  was  suitably 
celebrated  in  Colombo  under  the  asgis  of  its  new 
Governor,  S r West  Ridgeway,  K.  C.  B.,  K.  C.  S.  I., 
who  left  Loudon  last  month  to  take  up  his  guber- 
notorial  duties.  Prior  to  his  departure  he  was  en- 
tertained at  a banquet  by  the  Ceylon  Association 
in  London,  an!  but  for  this  recent  dinner  the 
planting,  mercantile,  and  shipping  interest  connected 
with  the  colony  would  have  celebrated  the  centenary 
in  the  customary  manner  by  meeting  together  round 
the  festive  board. 
HOW  STANDS  CEYLON  T().D.\Y  ? 
This  was  the  question  that  occurred  to  me  on 
Monday,  and  I felt  that  I could  not  do  better  than 
call  upon  Mr.  John  Loudoun  Shand,  late  Member 
of  the  Legislative  Council,  who  has  lived  in  the 
colony  for  twenty  years.  He  has  been  a tea-planter, 
has  had  the  management  of  large  estates,  and  was 
the  chairman  of  the  local  Planters’  Association. 
On  his  return  to  England  to  take  up  his  residence 
here  he  helped  to  found  the  Ceylon  Association  in 
Lomio  ),  and  is  juw  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm 
of  Shand,  Haldane  A Cj.,  of  Rood-lane. 
I was  fortunate  in  finding  both  partners  in. 
Having  explained  the  object  of  my  visit,  Mr.  Hal- 
d.iue  said,  ”Ali,  lea  j.*  uosv  our  great  staple  in 
Ceylon.  Twenty-one  years  ago  1 exported  20  lb., 
whicli  was  a tenth  of  tlie  wliole  production  of  the 
colony.  Last  year  the  total  exports  amounted  to 
97,000,000  lb.” 
“ Yes,  I know  tea  has  made  wonderful  strides. 
But  first  let  me  know  something  about 
THE  CEYLON  ASSOCIATION  IN  LONDON.” 
“ Well,”  replied  Mr.  Shand,  “ that  is  an  asso- 
ciation without  a constitution.  We  felt  that  some 
organisation  was  needed  on  this  side  to  watch 
over  the  interests  of  the  colony,  and  to  advance 
the  same  in  this  country.  The  association  has  for 
its  president  Lord  Stanmove,  better  known,  perhaps, 
as  Sir  Arthur  Gordon,  a former  Governor  of  Ceylon, 
and  is  composed  of  merchants  and  shippers  who 
are  interested  in  the  colony,  exofficials  of  the  Colo- 
nial Government,  and  planters.  The  members  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  Colombo  and  of  the 
Planters’  Association  are  also  members  of  an  asso- 
ciation while  at  home.” 
“ And  you  watch  over  the  interests  of  the  colony 
generally  ?” 
“ Yes,  the  general  body  has  interested  itself  lately 
in  the  question  of  the  military  expenditure,  and 
then  we  have  a special  tea  committee,  which  comes 
together  pretty  often.  Before  we  started  we  had 
no  separate  days  of  sale  for  Ceylon  teas;  they 
were  sold  as  Indian  teas,  and  we  had  to  break 
down  several  trade  barriers.  Everything  is 
now  overshadowed  by  tea,  as  it  formerly  was  by 
coffee.” 
