Jan. I, 1898.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 485 
MINING AND GEMMING IN CEYLON. 
APPROACHING VISIT OF AN EXPERIENCED 
MINING ENGINEER. 
We said the other day in discussing Mi‘. 
Lockhart’s Patent Gem Separator and the Plant 
now on the way to Ceylon, that we were on the 
eve of new and important developments of local 
Mining and Gemming Industry. VVe had, of 
course, partly in view, the approacliing Geological 
Survey of the island which, we hope is not to 
he much further delayed and the important re- 
sults -which may be expected to flow from 
it, as well as from the success of the 
Patent Separators in onr Gemming regions. 
We have now another “departure” to re- 
port. Our old friend (and one of the shrewdest 
Colonists that ever came to Ceylon) Mr. C. 
Tottenham in a letter just received, reports 
that he is sending out to Ceylon, _ by the 
Orient steamer “Oroya” a Mining En- 
gineer of great experience in Capt. Leonard 
Tregay. The primary object is to inspect and 
report to Mr. Tottenham on some extensive 
plumbago deposits on his Monarakanda plant- 
ation, Gallagedera. But Capt. Tregay will be 
open to engagements elsewhere in the Colony 
after he has discharged the mission confided to 
him OH Monarakanda. The very fact of his 
being selected by so experienced and competent a 
judge as Mr. Tottenham is enough testimony in 
our opinion to the merits of Capt. Tregay ; but 
our readers may like to know what Mr. Totten- 
ham has to say of him in writing to us : — 
“Captain Tregay although not a scientific geo- 
logist has a true miner’s instinct, comes from 
a mining family, and has been mining in many 
parts of the world in gold, tin, copper, and 
iron chiefly — with all of which he is thoroughly 
acquainted. Capt. Tregay is almost the only 
mining man I have ever known — and I have 
known tnojny — on whose thorough honesty, one 
can perfectly rely. Like other mortals he may be 
mistaken, but it will be an honest mistake any- 
way. -I have known Capt. Tregay for a quarter 
of a century, and for much of that time he has 
been associated with me, in charge of mining 
properties I was sole or part owner of, and I 
have rarely found him mistaken. I have asked 
Captain Tregay to have a good look round 
while in Ceylon, and to let me know what he 
thinks of our mining prospects generally. I have 
asked him to have a good look at our quartz 
formation for gold amongst other things. A 
man like Captain Tregay would be invahmble 
in connection with the proposed Geological Sur- 
vey, you have so strongly advoc.ated, and which 
now I am glad to see is to be undertaken. 
Capt. Tregay when he has done my work, goes 
on to Western Australia on a visit and to 
report on mining property there I believe.” 
We think the Colony is greatly indebted to 
Mr Tottenham for sending so experienced a 
mining authority into our midst ; and we feel 
sure that owners of land likely to have plum- 
bago deposits, cannot do better than put them- 
selves in communication with Capt. Tregay, in 
order that he may make an inspection after he 
has finished on Monarakanda. If any letter for 
our visitor should be sent to this office, it can 
be handed to him on arrival. 
We are almost afraid to reopen the question 
of “ gold ” after the many abortive attempts in 
the past; but clearly no such practical and ex- 
perienced expert as Capt. Tregay has ever come 
to Ceylon before this time, and it would be a 
great advantage that he should inspect some 
of the spots associated by the Sinhalese from 
time immemorial w’ith the finding of gold — in 
Rangalla, Ramboda (Kangboda), Ruwanwella, &c. ; 
and if he goes so far, Capt. Tregay should see 
the quartz near Badulla recently referred to 
by Mr. Haly of the Museum. In our ironstone, 
especially the “ 15 miles of ore” in Sabara- 
gamnwa, referred to by Gygax, Capt. Tregay 
would be certain to take a special interest if 
only he can be brought to the “location.” He 
is sure also to have a “look-in” at the Ratna- 
pura and Matara gemming pits, and to take an 
interest in Mr. Lockhart’s new “plant.” As 
respects the Geological Survey, of course the 
Ceylon Government is committed to the officer 
— Mr. Oldham probably — who is to be sent to 
us from India; but we can fancy that Mr. Old- 
ham himself would be delighted if he had the 
chance of having the assistance of a practical 
mining authority of long experience like Capt. 
Tregay, and this mightlead eventually to an engage- 
ment for the latter in India, when his mission in 
Western Australia is completed. It certainly 
seems a little puzzling as to why paying goli 
reefs should not be found and opened among the 
quartz hills of Ceylon (and Travancore) as well 
as among those of Mysore and the Nilgiris ? Capt. 
Tregay’s opinion on this matter will be very 
valuable one way or the other. 

PLANTING NOTES. 
The Bengal United Tea Co., Limited, is 
one of the latest of new Tea Companies and 
is to hold 5,245 acres of tea in Assam, Cachar 
and Darjeeling— the capital being £300,000. Al- 
together the properties cover nearly 20,000 acres. 
The capital issued is only equal to £40 an acre 
of tea, not counting the 14',000 acres in reserve ! 
Pepper is grown at the Straits on a big scale 
when a single estate despatches as reported by 
the District Magistrate, Kuala Kangsar, as fol- 
lows : — 
The weight of pepper shipped to London from 
Chigar Galah estate was 97 pikuls 33 katis. 
When shall we see estates in Kegalla district 
doing this ? 
The Spring Valley Coffee Company, Ltd. 
— The Directors of this Company have decided 
in a circular, dated 9th November, “That 
no interim dividend will be paid at the present 
time, as the Board consider it advisable to adopt 
the same policy as last year, and let the dividend 
on the ordinary shares stand over until the 
annual accounts are presented to shareholders. 
The £15,C00 preference capital recently issued 
was over-applied for and has been allotted, all 
■works connected -with the speedy development of 
the estate as a tea property are therefore being 
actively pushed forward. This year we are planf- 
ing 186 acres of tea and 134 acres of fuel, and it 
is hoped that ail the remaining area under coffee 
will be planted up next season. Plans for the 
additional factory accommodation for dealing with 
the increasing quantity of leaf have been approved 
by the Board, and this work will be put in hand 
at once. Latest reports from the estate with 
regard to tea are in every way satisfactory. The 
dividend on the preference shares will be paid half- 
yearly, viz, On 1st February and 1st August.” 
