Polynesian., 1851-10-11
COFFEE PLANTING IN CEYLoN.

to visit a friend who was in charge Of one Of
the many new coffee clearings then in pr :
gress. l was accompanied by young planter
well acquainted with the country and the ma
tives, and who had offered to act as my
guide. The clearing was distant about
twenty-five miles. The rout we took has
since become famous. Rebellion and mar
Iial law have stalked over it and concern
ing it, the largest blue books of last session
have been concocted.
We mounted our horses good hour be-
fore day-break. so as to ensure getting over
the most exposed part of our journey before
the sun should have risen very high, an i'm
portant matter for man and beast in tropical
countries. Toward noon, we pulled up at a
little bazaar, or native shop, and called for
Hoppers and Coffee. felt that could
have eaten almost any thing, and, truly, one
needs such an appetite to get down the dread
full black-draught which the Cingaese re-
morselessy administer to travellers, under the
name of coffee.
The sun was high in the horizon when we
found ourselves suddenly, at a turn of the
road, in the midst of clearing" This
was quite novelty to me so unlike any
thing one meets with in the lower country,
or about the vicinity of Handy. The present
clearing lay at an elevation of fully three
thousand feet above the ea.level, while the
altitude Of Handy is not more than sixteen
hundred feet. | had never been on Hill
Estate; and the only notions formed by me
respecting a plantation of coffee, were OF
continuous, undulatipg fields, and gentle
slopes. Here it was not difficult to imagine
myself among the recesses of the Black For
est. Pile on pile Of heavy, dark jungle rose
before my astonished sight, locking like grim
fortresses defending some hidden city of
giants. The spot we had opened upon was
at the entrance Of long valley of great width,
on one side of which lay the young estate
we were bound to. Before us were, as near
| could Judge, fifty acres of felled jungle IN
thickest disorder /; just as the monsters OF
The forest have fallen, so they lay. heap on
heap, crushed and splintered into ten thous-
and fragments Fine brawny old fellows
some of them trees that had stood many a
storm and handicapped trees that had shell
tered the wild elephant, the deer, and the
buffalo, lay there prostrated by few inches
of sharp steel The 'sfall" had taken place
good week before, and trees would be LETT
in this state until the end of October, by
which time they would be sufficiently dry for
a good "burn.' Struggling from trunk to
trunk, and leading our horses slowly over the
huge rocks that lay thickIy around, we at
last got through the "fall, 4" and came to "a
part of the forest where the heavy, quick
click OF many axes told us there was work.
ing party busly employed. Before us short
distance in the jungle, were the swarihy, COM
pact figures of some score or two OF low
country Cingalese, plying their small axes
with rapidity and precision that was truly
marvellous 1t made my eyes wink again,
to see how quickly their sharp tools flew about
and how near some Of them went to their
neio hbors' heads.
In The midst Of these busy people l found
my planting friend, experimenting operations
in full Jungle costume. A sort of wicker he'll
met was on his head, covered with long
white cloth, which hung far down his back,
like a baby's quilt. A shooting jacket and
trowsers of checked country cloth immense
leech-gaiters fitting close inside the roomy
canvass boots and Chinese paper umbrel-
la made up his curious OUTFIT
To me it was pretty, as well as novel
SIGHT to watch the telling work in progress
Two axe-men TO small trees three and some
times four, to larger ones their little bright
tools flung far back over their shoulders with
a proud flourish and then, with ''whirl, !"
dug deep in the heart Of the tree, with such
exacttude and in such excellent time, that
the scores of axes flying about me seemed
impeled by some mechanical contrivance,
and sounding but as one or two Instruments
observed that in no instance the trees were
cut through but each one was left with just
sufficient of the heart to keep it upright on
looking around, saw that there were hum
dreds of them similarly treated. The ground
on which we were standing was extremely
steep and full Of rocks, between which lay
embedded rich veins Of aIluyial soil. Where
this is the case, the masses OF stone are not
an objection on the contrary, they serve TO
keep the roots Of the young coffee plants
cool during the long dry season, and, IN the
like manner. prevent the light soil from be-
inc washed down the hillside by heavy rains.
NV pIanter-friend asspsed me that, if the
trees were to be at once ut down, few at
a time, they would SO cucumber the place
as to render it impossible for the workmen TO
get access to the adjoining tree. so thickly
do they stand together. and 90 cumbersome
are their heavy branches. In reply to my
inquiry asto the method Of bringing all these
cut trees to the ground. was desired TO wait
until the cutting on the hillside was compile
ted, and then should see the operation f1n-.
ished.
The little axes rang out merry chime
merrily TO the planters 5 ear, but the death-
knell Of many fine old forest tree. IN bali
an hour the signal was made 10 halt, By
blow;no ! conch shell obeying the signal Of