2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
owed to him their initiative. The value oi tb« 
work of men like Mr. Samuel Butler, the Shands 
in Sabaragamuwa and others, be.sides tlie labours 
of officials like Major Skinner and Captain Evatt 
of t!ie Public Wo)’ks Department in opening 
up the wilds of the interior, cannot be properly 
estimated at the present day. The difficulties 
in connection with Supplies, Labour, Money, 
Letters, &c. (money had to be brought up from 
Colombo to the estates in hard cash monthly) 
are now comparatively unknown ; but in the days 
we speak of they sorely tried the patience and 
resources of hardworking men to overcome. 
Reference to the Government Gazette in 1841, 1842 
and 1843 would probably show a larger e.xtent of 
acreage of land put up for sale and bought for 
planting purposes, than in almost any three years 
later, until we get to the rush of the “ sixties and 
“ seventies.” In the following years much planta- 
tion-grown coffee began to reach England from 
Ceylon, adding to very sufficient supplies from the 
West Indies, which had not then declined in pro- 
duction, as they afterwards did, under the combined 
influences of Slave Emancipation and Tree Trade. 
All this seriously affected prices in the home mar- 
ket, and brought trouble to the many pioneers 
engaged in Ceylon, both to proprietors and to those 
whom they eni 2 )loyed. There were exceptions, but 
almost universally, economy had been disregarded, 
and lavish and indiscriminating expenditure had 
prevailed, so that a crisis was ai)proaching, in 
which many estates had to pass into other hands ; 
and all property in the country depreciated. 
Mr. Butler was, we believe, the first Manager 
or Inspector of Estates to draw up and print 
a form of plantation accounts, on the basis of 
analysis of expenditure, which with variations 
became generally adopted. Mr. George Crabbe, 
of Messrs. A. & R. Crowe & Co., at that time 
being one of the first to call up)on superinten- 
dents to curtail expenses on weeding ; an item 
which, for want of analysis, covered extravagance 
in many other directions. 
The labours of Mr. Butler as a planting manager 
were now soon to cease ; the bouse of Messrs. 
Acland, Boyd & Co. came down in the com- 
mercial crash of 1847, and Mr. Butler had to j>ass 
through the troubles resulting from the insolvency 
of his firm. This to him proved to be a not 
unmixed evil. With his usual energy, he accepted 
a Power of Attorney from Mr. J. P.- Simjison, then 
leaving for England, whose sister he had recently 
married. This introduced him to an acquaintance 
Avith the Import trade of which he did not fail 
to take advantage when the time came. Mr. 
E. J. Darley, another partner of Messrs. Acland, 
Boyd &, Co., had retired from the firm before 
the failure, and had gone to England, where he 
ftund the greater number of the proprietors for 
[July i, 1897. 
whom the old firm had acted as agents, only 
too glad to place their estates in his charge. 
Returning to Ceylon Mr. Darley established 
himself as Darley & Co., but shortly joined by 
Mr. Butler he constituted the firm of Darley, 
Butler & Co. The new firm’s business consisted 
chiefly of Estate Agency and Commissions. At 
this time Mr. Butler paid a visit to England, 
which proved to be an epoch in the future pros- 
pierity of the house. Forming a connection with 
the financial house of Matheson & Co., of London, 
a large Imprort business was commenced, to which 
was soon added equally large transactions in 
Ceylon produce. Shipping, both consigned and 
chartered, naturally followed. About this time 
was established their branch house at Cochin 
on the Western Coast of India, and ably con- 
ducted by Mr. Stephen Darley, brother ot Mr. 
E. J. Darley, it proved a successful venture. 
Early in 1856, iMr. E. J. Darley, the senior 
partner, left Ceylon for a trip to England, which 
was lengthened out to three years, Mr. Butler 
conducting the bu.siness in the meantime; but 
falling into bad health, in 1858, under medical 
advice he went home in October of that ye.ar, 
Mr. Darley returning thiee months after. A 
short time before, the Governor Sir Henry Ward 
had placed Mr. Butler in the Legislative Council 
where his energetic character and abilities for 
business would soon have distinguished him 
had not his departure for Europe, necessitated 
by ill-health, pot a ]5remature end to his career 
in that position. 
This visit home proved to be a permanent stay, 
and also proved another important epoch in the 
fortunes of Messrs. Darley, Butler & Co., by the 
ultimate establishment of a house in London 
with the style of Darley & Butler. Mr. Darley, 
senior, returned to England about four years 
later, his son Edward being sent to Bombay 
tj join Mr. Stewart of Manchester in establish- 
ing a branch tl.ere, while Mr. Stephen Darley 
returned to Colombo as partner with a chief 
assistant in Mr. W. W. Mitchell, who soon after 
became partner in the firm, with which he has 
been identified ever since. These were the 
■ i-iic cjiiase- 
quent Manchester Cotton Famine. The firm, led 
by Mr. E. J. Darley, went boldly into’ the 
purchase of Tinnevelly cotton, both in the first 
and second years of the strife. These transactions 
resulted in handsome fortunes for tlienrselves 
and their two partners, Messrs. Eduard and 
Stephen Darley. The two latter shortly after 
left the firm, and Mr. Mitchell became the sole 
partner in Ceylon, both Messrs. Darley and 
Butler continuing in business in London. Early 
m 1870 Mr. Darley, senior, died, his share and 
capital passing out of the concern, and Mr. 
