Vol.  XVI.]  COLOMBO,  FEBRUARY  .st,  1897.  [No,  8. 
“PIONEERS  OF  THE  PLANTING  ENTERPRISE  IN  CEYLON, 
{Second  Series.) 
ALBX.  CAMPBELL  WHITE. 
PLANTER  AND  MERCHANT. 
E confined  our  first  series  of 
Pioneer  Colonists,  connected 
with  Ceylon,  to  men  who 
had  passed  “ that  bourne 
whence  no  traveller  returns.” 
In  beginning  a second  series, 
Ave  are  pleased  to  include 
several  who,  though  long  ago 
retired  from  the  Colony,  are  still  in  the  ilesh,  and 
who  continue  to  hold  property  in  tlie  island,  to 
read  their  Overland  Observer  and  to  take  an  interest 
in  all  that  concerns  t!ie  Avelfare  of  old  Lanka 
and  its  people.  It  was  our  privilege  during  a 
recent  visit  to  England  to  meet  several  of  these 
retired  pioneers  ; but,  unfortunately,  we  were  not 
able  to  keep  a promise  to  visit  Cheltenham  and 
meet  once  again  the  subject  of  our  [uesent 
notice,  or  we  should  have  been  able  to  fill  up 
a great  many  blanks  in  our  story.  But  as  it 
is,  we  must  make  what  we  can  of  the  rather 
scant  material  before  us. 
Alexander  Camim5ELl  White’s  birth  dates 
so  far  back  as  1816,  so  that  he  must  now  be  in 
his  81st  year.  Born  a Scotchman  he  had  the 
privilege  of  being  fitted,  for  his  work  in  life  with 
that  useful  practical  education  for  which  the 
Parish  Schools  of  Scotland  (long  before  tbe  era 
of  Board  Schools)  have  been  specially  famous. 
In  Glasgow,  Mr.  White  acquired  some  experience 
of  business  before 
SAILING  FOR  KOMILVY 
as  a youth  of  18,  with  the  mission  of  starting  the 
Firm  of  “White,  Barlow  N:  Co.”  Wliat  would  be 
thought  in  the  pre.seni  dayofa  youngster  in  his  teens 
coming  out  to  the  East  to  start  anything!  But 
in  the  early  part  of  tire  century  men  remeiii- 
bered  that  William  Pitt  rvas  Prime  Minister  of 
England  at  23  and  that  both  Clive  and  Warren 
Hastings  had  landed  in  India  when  they  were 
only  18  years  of  age.  To  return  to  A.  C. 
'White  : on  his  rvay  to  Bombay,  he  visited  Cairo 
and  met,  and  made  friends,  with  the  enter- 
prising, far-seeing  Lieut.  Waghorn,  at  the  time 
engaged  in  his  enterprise  of  opening  and  estab- 
lishing the  “Overland  route”  which  sliortly 
after  became  an  accomplished  fact.  At  .Suez 
Mr.  Wdiite  had  to  remain  ten  day.s  before  he 
got  away  in  the  East  India  Company’s  steamer 
“Hugh  Lindsay”  which  had  been  sent  from 
Bombay  to  ascertain  whether  tire  Bed  Sea  and 
Gulf  of  Suez  were  really  navigable  and  safe  for 
steamer.s.  The  whole  voyage  from  London  to 
Bombay  occuided  nearly  three  months-,  while, 
now-a-days,  letters  (and  passengers  travelling 
with  the  mails)  c.i  i get  from  St.  Martin’.s-lc-Grand 
to  Bombay  in  twelve  days  ! 
Mr.  White  remained  eight  years  in  Bombay 
wilii  varying  fot tunes  but  ever-increasing  ex|)cri- 
ence,  until,  in  18-12,  he  decided  to  make  a new 
(kqiarture  and  to  venture  Ids  tlieu  comparatively 
limited  capital  (£2,000,  we  have  heard  mentioned 
as  the  total)  in  a cofi'ee  plantation 
IN  CEYLON. 
Tiie  Colony  was  fast  coming  into  notice.  Five 
years  earlier,  Mr.  Tytler— witli  the  experience  of 
Jamaica— had  shown  how  the  shrub  could  be 
lu'operly  cultivated  and  the  cherry  fruit  properly 
prepared  for  market.  A rush  into  tbe  new  pro- 
duct had  commenced : the  extensive  and  attrac- 
tive lull  country  of  the  island  was  invaded  from 
