Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon

s-Landslips-Forest-clearing-Manuring-The Coffee Bug-Rats-Fatted Stock-Suggestions for Sheep-farming-A

st of the land? These are two questions which should be considered sepa

ntly low sum per acre into a purchase of great extent. The question of the real cost will then be solved at his expense. There are few colo

e of twenty shillings per acre. What has the purchaser obtained for this sum? One thousand acres of dense forest, to which there is no road. The one thousand

wait three years for a return. By the time of full bearing the whole cost of felling, burning, planting and cleaning will be about eight pounds per acre; this, in addition to the prime cost of the land, and about two thousand pounds expended in buildings, machinery etc., etc., will bring the price of the land, when in a yielding condition, to eleven pounds

of his crop must be conveyed on coolies' heads along an arduous path to the nearest highway, perhaps

der the present conditions of sales. There is a great medium to be observed, however, in the sales of crown land; too low a price is even a greater evil than too high a rate, as

ting neighborhood, where the purchases of land were large and numerous, in which case the aggregate sum would be sufficient to form a carriage road to the main highway, which might be kept in repair by a slight toll. An arrangement of this kind is not only fair to the planters, but would be ultimately equally bene

assed through the various stage

nd sanguine imaginations painted the hidden prospect in their ideal colors, e

n disappointed the broken fortunes of

re moderate standard, and took forty per cent. out of the pockets of the planters. Coffee, which in those days brought from one h

st to smash. In those days the expenses of bringing land into cultivation were more than double the present rate, and, the cultivation of coffee not being so well understood, the produce per acre was comparatively small. This combination of untoward circ

anic in the commercial world. Things are brought down to their real value and level; men of straw are swept away, and affairs are commenced a

d by an improved state of cultivation; and at the present time the agricultural prospects of the col

ded that he has his own capital to work his estate, that he gives his own personal superintendence and that he understands the management. These are the usual conditions of success

ch is enough for one man is a pittance for another; but one thing is certain, that,

ng a coffee estate. Years of patient industry and toil, chequered by many disappointments, may eventually reward the proprietor; but it will be at a time of life when a long residence in the tropics will have given him a distaste for the chilly atmosphere of old England; his early f

mself with the hope that something will turn up to alter the apparent certainty of his exile; and in this hope, with his mind ever fixed upon his return, he does nothing for posterity in the colony. He rarely even plants a f

tion, he settles cheerfully in a colony as his adopted country. He lays out his grounds with taste, and plants groves of exquisite fruit trees, whose produce will, he hopes, be tasted by his children and grandchildren. Accordingly, in a French col

e building of a house to the cultivation of an estate. He does not distress his land for im

ntries; and its good effects are already seen in Ceylon, where, for some

o procure manure in sufficient quantity, the holes should be well filled at the time of planting. This would give an increased

ty with large crops is from twenty-five hundred to four thousand feet. At one time it was considered that the finest quality was produced at the highest range; bu

turally light and poor, is washed by every shower, and the more soluble portions, together with the salts of the manure applied to the trees, are being continually robb

of the rains. In these cases the destruction is frequently to a large extent; great rocks ar

face; and not being able to percolate through the clay with sufficient rapidity, it lodges between the two strata, loosen

ng plantation giving great promise; but as the trees increase in growth the tap-root reaches the clay subsoil and the plantation immediately falls off. The s

another item of equal importance to be taken into consideration when choosing a locality for a coffee esta

ays practicable; in which case land should be cleared and grass planted, as

e trees being cut about half through, are started in sections of about an acre at one fall. This is easily effected by felling

ared underwood, they form a mass over the surface of the ground impervious to man or beast. This mass, exposed to a power

of blackened stumps and smouldering trunks of trees: the whole of the branches and ti

with young coffee trees of about twelve inches high. Nothing is now required but to keep the land clean until the trees attain the height of four feet and come into bearing. This, a

he old wood being kept down to induce fruit bearing shoots,

ttention is also required in the management of the cattle on the estate, for without a proper system the amount of manure produced will be proportionately small. They should be bedded up every night hock d

the weeds from an estate, and effectually destroying their

k. Below this is a sunken cistern-say eight feet square-into which the drainage would be conducted from the upper platfo

of one foot thick. These layers are continued alternately in the proportion of three to one of weeds, until the mass is piled to a height of tw

ts of the dung, it drains evenly through the whole mass, forming a most perfect compost. The surplus moisture, upon reaching th

ate, the cattle sheds and pits being arranged in the different

like a laurel berry. The flesh has a sweet but vapid taste, and encloses t

a partial fermentation by being piled for some hours in a large heap. This has the effect of loosening the fleshy particles, which, by washing in a cistern of running water, are detached from the berry. It is then rendered perfectly dry in the sun or by means of artificially heated air; and, being packed in bags, i

icultural pursuits: the inclemency of seasons and the attacks of vermin are constantly marring the planter's expectations. Among the latter plagues the "bug" stands foremost. This is a minute and gregarious insect, which lives upon the juices of the coffee tree, a

l more, like a "limpet," being attached to the stem of the tree in the same manner that the latter adheres to a rock. This is the nest or house, which, although no larger

r the most part, fall unripened from the tree. This attack is usually of about two years' duration; after which time the tree loses its blackened appearance, which peels off the su

young shoots, thus utterly destroying a crop. These vermin are more easily guarded against than the insect tribe, and s

calculated, considerably lessen the average profits of an estate, as it must be remembered that while a crop is reduced in

ly profitable, and the gain upon fatted stock would pay for the expense of manuring the estate. This would be the first and most reasona

f fine meat throughout Ceylon. Were the soil only tolerably good, so that oats, vetches, turnips and mangel wurtzel could be grown on virgin land without manure, beasts might be stall-fed, the manure doubled by that method, and a profit made on the animals. Pigs ar

specially in the neighborhood of the coffee estates. There are two enemies, however, against which they would have to contend-viz., "leopards" and "leeches." The former are so destructive that the shepherd could never lose sight of his flock without great risk; but the latter, although troublesome, are not to be so much dreaded as people suppose. They are very small, and the quantity of blood drawn by their bite is so trifling that n

trifling. Here there is an immense tract of country with a peculiar short grass in every way adapted for sheep-pasturage, and with the additional ad

pards are particularly daring, and cases have frequently occurred where they have effected their entrance to a cattle-shed by scratching a hole through the thatched roof. They then commit a who

, and the cow and her calf were nestled in the warm straw in the cattle-shed. The door was locked, and all was apparently secure, where the hungry leopard prowled stealthily round the cowhouse, sniffing the prey within. The scent of the

completely scattered when he found himself the unwilling umpire of the fight. He rushed out and shut the door. In a few minutes he succeeded in awakening the blacksmith, who struck a light and proceeded to load a pistol, the only

in the other, and no idea of what he meant to do. He waited, therefore, at the cattle-shed door, a

e shed. This was the "beef-eater" in reduced circumstances! The gallant little cow had nearly killed him, and was giving him the finishing strokes. The blacksmith perceived the leopard's helpless state, and, boldly opening the door, he discharged h

eopard" or "panther." There have been many opinions on the subject, but I have taken p

from the nose to the end of tile tail. He is covered with round black "sp

speckled with black "spots," and his weight is from one hundred and ten to one hundred and seventy pounds. There is little or no distinction between the leopard and the panther, they are

ttacked it. It is the popular belief that the effect is produced by a blow of the paw; this is not the case; it is not simply the blow, but

w bounds of their prey. Then the immense power of muscle is displayed in the concentrated energy of the spring; he flies through the air and settles on the throat, usually throwin

fects of the wound are still more to be dreaded than the force of the blow. There is a peculiar poison in the claw which is highly

There is no doubt that a natural love of slaughter induces him to a constant search for prey, but it has nothing to do with

day when man and beast should have been at home. Presently, upon turning a corner of the road, I saw a Malabar boy of about sixteen years of age, squatted shivering by the roadside. His only covering being a scanty cloth round his loins, I told him to get up and go on or he would be starved with cold

couple of men with orders to

ad!-sitting crouched in the same position in which I had seen him.

d by the roadside, and a few days after I

ere and there on the road, and a putrid skull rolled from a shapeless hole among a confused and horrible heap

rd is naturally so wary that he frequently refuses to enter the ominous-looking building, although he would not hesitate to break into an ordinary shed. The best kind of trap is a gun set with a line, and the bait placed so that th

three cases have occurred within the last two years where they have actually sprung out upon dogs who have been accompanying their owners upon the high road in broad

spring the trap before the chetah's arrival. Among the variety of small animals thus caught I have frequently taken the civet cat. This is a very pretty arid curious creature, about forty inches long from nose to tip of tail. The fur is ash-gray, mottled with black spots, and the tail is divided by numerous black rings. It is of the genius Viverra, and is exceedingly fierce when attacked. It preys chiefly upon fowls, hares, rats, etc. Its great peculiarity is the musk-bag or gland situated nearly under the tail; this is a projecting and valued glan

ake, bread, etc., perfectly uneatable, and even flavoring bottled wine by running over the bottles. This, howe

lavor of musk is communicated to the wine

s, particularly among potato crops, whole rows of which he digs out and devours. He is a perfect rat in appearance, but he would rather ast

first of his tribe. The destruction of snakes by this animal renders him particularly respected, and no person ever thinks of destroying him. N

possibility of his procuring the antidote. His power consists in his vigilance and activity; he avoids the dart of the snake, and adroitly pins him by the back of the neck. Here he maintains his hold, in spite of the contortions and convulsive writhing of the snake, until he succeeds in breakin

largest of the enemies to the human race-ticks, bugs, fleas, tarantulas, centipede