Jan, t, 1898,1 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
493 
THE VISIT OF THE MINING ENGINEER. 
Capt. Teegay, M.E.— of whose mission to Ceylon 
we gave a full account, quite a week ago— passes 
a few days in Colombo nefore going upcountry. 
He will probably go to Kandy on Monday next 
and next day to Monerakande estate, and there, 
with the Manager, Mr. A. J. Thomas he will enter 
on the special undertaking which lias brought 
him to Ceylon. He is meantime readins' up local 
iterature bearing upon the Mineralogy of the 
island, our compilation “ Gold, Gems and Pearls” 
being new to our visitor. We have mentioned 
the “gold campaign” entered on during the dark 
days of the Colony a decade ago, and how more 
than one mining expert then inspected some of 
our quartz reefs and directed how shafts should 
be driven, although they could not remain on 
the spot themselves to see the work completed. 
The most elaborate investigation was made by 
Mr. A. C. Dixon, B.SC., «&c. ; but though a 
scientific man, Mr. Dixon had had no experi- 
ence as a prospector or mining engineer. In 
Ambagamuwa and Dolosbage districts chiefly 
were the reefs examined. Capt. Tregay considers 
that too little time was given to the quartz 
reef trials ; for, he holds with all other authori- 
ties that where gold is f p^ind in the streams as 
in the Mahaoya and .s,,iiio others of our rivers, 
there ought to be gold-yielding quartz not far 
off. At the same time, we know that gold is 
the most widely and finely distributed of metals 
and poor old Robert Dawson’s saying about gold 
in India and Ceylon— has clung to our memory 
sitice he first repeated it over thirty years ago — 
“ Gold in Ceylon?” — he would say to the enquirer, 
— “why, of course, gold is found in the sands of 
every river here, just as in Southern India, where, 
when a man has nothing else to do, he goes and 
washes for gold and makes his two fanains a 
day — and it is on record that a man once made 
*our fanains (fid) a day ! ” There is no doubt of 
gold existing in our hill formation ; but whether it 
is in an accessible and paying form is the problem. 
Still, there are the profitable mines in Mysore 
and Coorg to encourage investigation ; and here 
comes Mr. Domenico in a letter elsewhere, to 
tell us how he found vei'y appreciable evidences 
of gold below the Morawak-korale District in 
the Southern Province. Proprietors with likely 
quartz on their estates in that District should 
write and engage Capt. Tregay to pay them a 
professional visit. Our visitor has had very 
great and varied experience in both Victoria ancl 
New South Wales, in California, South Africa, 
Siam, Chili as well as in Europe, and 
he comes to us with the Irghest possible re- 
commendations. We trust wherever Capt. Tregay 
travels in the island he will meet with cour- 
teous attention and all possible inih rmation of 
which he may stand in need. Oar native 
Plumbago Pits or Mines and Gemming Districts’ 
operations ought to intere.st him very much ; 
and our readers will learn of Capt. Tregay’s im- 
pre.ssions at the close of hi.s inspection. Mean- 
time, Capt. Tregay’s address after Sunday next, 
will be care of A. J. Thomas, Esq., Monara- 
kande, Madawallatenna. 
CEYLON GAME PROTECTION SOCIETY. 
We direct attention to the letter of Mr. Farr 
— who is ever in the front in such matters — 
giving cover to an Interesting report of a meet- 
ing lately held in Haputale in connection with 
the establishment of a local branch of the 
Ceylon Game Protection Society. The Committee 
appointed is to act for Uva generally and is 
exceeclingly well chosen as representative of 
the different districts in the principality. Very 
practical lesolutions bearing on the subject were 
carried ; and we trust Mr. Farr may be gratified 
by finding other divisions of the country estab- 
lishing branches after the pattern just set 
in Uva. 
THE AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. 
As an old believer in the Agricnltural School 
and in its judicious well-trained Principal, Mr. 
Drieberg, we are delighted with the brave defence 
of the institution put forth in his Report reproduced 
on another page. It is monstrous that in this 
colony so purely agricultural, the one institution 
that should wither for want of proper encourage- 
ment and support is the Agricultural School. The 
Report very clearly shows where the institution 
IS placed .at a disadvantage as compared, with 
other not more deserving establishments for whose 
encouragement much more is done ; and we sincere- 
ly trust that as the outcome of the present Commis- 
sion, the Agricultural School in place of being 
allowed to lapse, may be established on areally 
liberal, sound basis and may prove the successful 
progressive seminary which Ceylon should specially 
have in connection with its horticultural, agri- 
cultural and even planting interests. Several 
valuable suggestions were made by successive 
speakers and, the Mayor, who made a splendid 
Chairman, gave a most practical, enlivening as 
well as inspiring address— although he rose even- 
tually to a point a little beyond the present 
generation. We must walk before we attempt 
to sour into the empyrean ! Still, there is nothing 
like holding up a high ideal. With some of Mr. 
Davidson’s illustrations of the backwardness of 
the community in its interest in Agricultural 
teaching we are rather puzzled. We do not know 
that we have ever seen the paper which he said 
provoked no criticism ; but surely he cannot 
accuse the planters of the island or the city 
writers who fill the Tropical Agriculturist or 
Mr. Drieberg and his contributors who give us 
the excellent Agricultural Magazine w'ith being 
at all backwaid in theii interest in the main 
industries of the Colony. The rest of the world 
or “balance of creation’’ regard Ceylon (and 
its T. A. !) as the fountain-head of information 
on nearly every branch of Tropical Agricul- 
ture. We can only trust that Mr. Davidson 
and Mr. Obeysekara and Mr. Peris— if not on 
the Agricultural School commission already 
will be individually asked for their advice and 
suggestions by the Commissioners, -whoever they 
are, in reference to the School of the future. 
Meantime, it is refreshing to hear of Mr. Drie- 
berg’s headquarters being the centre of so much 
useful activity, and of the paying investments 
of Governnient that are represented there. May 
such activity, and success continue and expand 
largely through the influence which a well-ad- 
justed, liberally-conceived Agricultural School 
IS certain to exerci.se in the time to come. 
THE GALAHA TEA COMPANY. 
The shareholders of the Galaha Ceylon Tea 
Estates and Agency Company, Limited, held 
their first annual general meeting at the office* 
of the ('< inpany, 39, Lime street, London, on Tues- 
day, 7ih December, Mr. C. E. Strachan, Chairman. 
After the notice convening the meeting had been 
read. 
