820 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  1897. 
my  way  in  life,  either  in  the  or  the  iUlles. 
As  I thonght  I was  too  old  tor  the  latter,  and 
indifferent  to  the  former,  1 declined  Sir  George’s 
offer  with  thanks,  hut  at  the  suggestion  of  Kawdon 
Power,  then  Colonial  Secretary,  he  insisted  on  my 
being  made  J.P.  for  the  Kandyan  Districts  ! Whilst 
at  home  in  1854  I was  offered  a Commission  to 
go  to  the  Crimea,  but  my  wife  would  not  hear  of 
it.  I was  also  offered  the  Command  of  a Tug 
Steamer  to  tow  vessels  up  the  Dardanelles,  whereby 
a lot  of  money  was  made  ; so  much  for  chances 
in  tliat  noble  profession  which  I never  studied  : — 
‘ The  art  of  getting  on  in  the  world.’  During 
Sir  Henry  Ward’s  time  I liad  tlie  honor  of  re- 
ceiving great  kindness  at  his  hands,  and  his  last 
words  to  me  on  his  leaving  tfovernment  House 
to  embark  for  Madras  were  : — ‘Tliat  as  soon  as 
he  could,  he  would  give  me  the  best  appoint- 
ment he  could.’  Alas ! at  the  end  of  anoLlier 
month  he  Avas  no  more,  and  tlie  Government  of 
India  lost  a great  statesman  ami  an  able 
Governor  wlien  lie  died,  and  one  who  avouUI  have 
made  a great  name  in  India. 
“ A short  time  after  tliis  I sold  Bluefields,  and 
left  for  England.  In  1864  I came  out  to  Madras 
and  had  charge  of  large  properties  on  tlie  Nilgiris.* 
Having  on  several  occasions  from  rny  love  of  sport 
hazarded  sliooting  trips  into  the  most  deadly 
malarious  jungles,  from  which  my  health  suffered 
to  such  an  extent  that  I Avas  only  too  glad  to 
return  to  Ceylon,  and  taking  charge  of  Medde- 
coombra,  Avhich  then  had  300  acres  just  planted, 
and  Avhich  before  I left  grew  to  1,500.  At  the  end 
of  1870, 1 Avas  made  one  of  the  Inspectors  (“  V.  A’s”) 
of  the  Company,  Mr.  William  Hollo  being  the 
other.  I held  this  ollice  until  I left  for  England 
in  1884,  terribly  broken  doAvn  in  health.  In  1870 
I accompanied  H.R. H.  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh 
on  a shooting  trip  to  the  Trincomalee  jungles, 
and  received  Sir  Hercules  llobinson's  full  ap- 
proval ! — and  nothing  else.  I returned  to  Glenloch 
as  a residence  in  1870,  and  Avent  home  on  six 
months’  leave,  in  1875,  losing  my  beloved  wife,  a 
few  days  after  landing,  from  bronchitis.  I re- 
turned to  Ceylon  Avith  my  two  daughters  in  the  fol- 
lowing November.  In  1878  I came  home  for  a 
few  months  to  marry  my  present  Avife  Avho  Avas 
Miss  Laura  Darby,  of  Leap  Castle,  King’s  Co. 
Ireland.  By  my  first  Avife  I had  four  daughters,  one 
of  Avhom  I lost  in  Ceylon  in  1878.  By  my  pre- 
sent Avife  we  have  four  son.s,  a id  a d.utghter.  It 
is  a great  wkh  of  mine  to  return  to  Ceylon 
for  a couple  of  months  and  revisit  old  scenes. 
Alas  ! I shall  find  but  very  few  of  the  friends 
• It  Avas  from  this  quarter  that  a Colombo  busi- 
nessman t ot  an  answer  to  certain  enquiries  from  Mr. 
Tyndall,  by  teleg  aph,in  a form  Avhich  became  a com- 
mon sayiug  in  Ceylon  for  many  years,  namely,  “ What 
a world  it  is,  Mr.  Venn ! ” — Ed, 
of  the  olden  <lays,  but  from  the  feAV  that  are 
left  I do  not  doubt  I should  receive  a hearty 
Avelcome.  I can  look  back  to  my  days  of  coffee 
planting  in  Ceylon  Avith  the  greatest  pleasure, 
for  I enjoyed  the  life  thoroughly.” 
So  closes  the  neatly  Avritten  JISS.  sent  us  by 
Mr.  Tyndall  ; but  he  added  beloAV  : — “ I daresay  I 
“could  Avrite  a good  deal  more,  but  I must  be  con- 
“tentAvitha  skeleton  sketch  of  one  avIio  enjoyed 
“life  socially,  never  had  an  enemy,  but  made  many 
“true  friends.  By-the-Avay  I forgot  to  .say  that  I 
“Avas  dreadfully  ill  in  1872  and  Avent  to  Australia 
“for  threemonths.”  We  Avellrememberthatilhiess  : 
Wm.  Grant  of  Dikoya,  very  ill,  occupied  one  end 
of  the  hospitable  bungaloAv  of  John  Lewis  Gordon, 
in  Steuart  Place,  Colpetty,  Avhen  John  Tyndall, 
supposed  to  be  dying  from  ab.scess  in  the  liver,  Avas 
brought  doAvn  from  PussellaAva  and  placed  in  the 
opposite  Aving.  His  Avonderful  constitution  and  the 
indefatigable  nursing  of  his  devoted  Avife  pulled 
Mr.  Tyndall  back  from  the  grave,  Avhile  IMr. 
Grant  sank  under  his  fever  attack.  Then  the 
great  object  of  all  Avas  to  prevent  Tyndall  from 
realizing  that  his  dear  friend  Grant  had  gone,  lest  it 
should  depi’ess  and  throAv  him  back.  This  avoidance 
andall  about  the  funeral  Avere  managed  Avithout  the 
remaining  patient  having  any  suspicion.  We  Avere 
at  Galle  Avhen  poor  Tyndall  came  doAvn  to  take 
steamer  to  Australia  : he  Avas  miserably  Aveak  and 
thin,  but  Avould  insist  on  sitting  about  the  centre 
of  the  big  table  Avhere  some  150  passengers  Avere 
dining.  Each  course  be  had  to  refu.se  ; but  still  the 
servants  pressed  until,  overcome  at  last,  Tyndall 
so  shouted,  “ No  ! didn’t  I tell  yon  ” as  attracted  all 
eyes,  but  made  him  free  of  Avorry  for  the  rest  of  the 
eA’ening.  He  came  back,  after  three  months’ 
absence,  quite  another  man.  One  of  the  incidents 
Ave  recall  of  his  Visiting  Agent  days  Avas 
his  bringing  to  Colombo,  and  specially  to  the 
Observer  Ollice,  the  neAvs  of  Mr.  Slorach — a 
Avell-knoAvn  Engineer  and  Coffee  Store  Manager- 
having  picked  up  a magnificent  gem  on  his  estate 
in  Haputale,  a stone  of  the  finest  Avater  Avhich  he 
Avas  bringing  to  Colombo,  and  that  he  (Mr.  T.) 
had  seen  it.  By-and-bye  Mr.  Slorach  turned 
up,  full  of  the  fun,  his  gem  being  a big 
lump  of  “ lime-stone”— considered  so  valu- 
able on  a coffee  estate,  hoAvever,  as  to  Avell  de« 
serve  the  epithet  of  “precious  stone.”  After 
leaving  Ceylon  finally  in  1884,  Mr.  Tyndall 
Avas  one  of  the  earliest  to  open  a London 
Agency  for  the  sale  and  distribution  of  Ceylon 
teas,  in  conjunction  Avith  one  or  tAvo  more  aa’cII- 
knoAvn  Ceylon  men,  li.xing  his  city  headejuarters 
in  Billiter  House.  The  Firm  Avas  said  at  one  time 
to  have  the  services  of  tAvo  baronets  in  securing 
orders  and  extending  its  inlluence.  Then  cam 
