New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SIR SAMUEL BAKER IN CEYLON

have the gift of picturesque narration. HIS style
reflects the energy, pluck and enthusiasm OF the
mana little too discursye, perhaps Tor inc DeSC
literary performance, but always fresh, bright ana
penetrated with the subject. The present WORK
coming after his Rife and Hound in Ceylon,' IN
CURED the risk of repeating former impressions OF
tonching upon material already used but 1t has It's
own distinct interest and revives the curiosity OF
the reader who may have fancied that the held was
exhausted. H..
His first visit to CeylOn was made in 1915 but after
two wears of hunters life in the junges and forests,
he was seized by the fever of the country and oOgeu
70 return to England for the restoration of bus heah
But he had not been long at home before ne louHu
that the experience had unsettled all MS lucas
Scenes of former sports and places says
he, were continually intruding themselves upon
my thoughts, and l longed TO be once nloio
roaming at large with the rife through the
noiseless wdernesses in CeylOn So delightful were
the recoleeti6ns of past incidents that l could
scarcely believe that it lay within my power 20 re-
new Them wandered along the London streets
comparing the noise and hustle with the deep soil
tudes of Ceylon and felt like the sickly plants III
London parterre' He thereupOn formed the plan oil
returning to the far tropical island, and making
settlement upon the mountain terrace OF Newera
Ella. six thousand two hundred feet above the sea-
and under the highest mountain range. Having
forwarded a stock of cattle agricultural nipple
ments supplies, and servants mot forgetting PACK
of fox-hounds around the Cape, he reached
Ceylon in October 1915 by the overland route
The story of his experiences as a settler, Is we
suspect type of all similar attempts to cultivate
tropical wilderness; but few other men would have
persisted in the experiment. under such discourage
ment What with the death of the best COW soon
after landings the loss of carriage and horses over
precice; the clearing of jungle at cost OF t"O per
acre. the ravages of grubs wild hogs and elk among
the Young crops; and then the final discovery that
nothing would grow without manuring' we may guess
that it was rather 1.-THE rifle and the hound than his
agricultural hopes which led Sir Samuel to persevere
His final success seems to have been potatoes which
are worth go per tun in Ceylon. An acre Of ground
heavily MANFRED. he says, will produce from four to
six TINS, in three months from planting His account
'of the method of breaking up the virgin sod is in
teresting;
TIE weather being very dry and favorable for the work.
tEc rf ready for burning; and being piled m
spreading the ashes This being completed lad SIX
teams at work two horse Two 9uocE anu ITo @ Ms
tAen sown with oats.
1t was an interesting sight the rough plain yield
iug to the power Of agricultural implements especially
a. Of these implements were drawn by animals not
The "cutvator" which sufficiently large 10
anchor any twenty OF the small h9'iIe 3oca, iUvn S
mere nothing behind the splendid elephant WIG NVIheu
H. and t cut through the wry roots OF the rank rt as
apt doing Ike work of three separate teams when
The seed was In the ground. She first drew pair Of
heavy harrows; attached these and following behind
Were pair of light harrows, and behind these came
roller Thus the land had its first and second narrowing
AT the same time with the rolling.
This elephant was particularly sagacious ana her
making n dam across q stream. She very large
ANIMAL and il was beautiful TO witness her wonderful
S9Ted The roSrR trunks Of trees from the lately feed
forest lying within fifty yards OF nc spot ana the
and fourteen eighteen inches in diameter THESE she
carried m mouth shifting her hold along the log be-
fore she raised II until she had obtained the exact bal
then seadying 10 with her trunk, she carried every
III rows These sine herself arranged under the direc-
ton of her driver with the reason apparently OF human
being.
After such experiences, the authors efforts to es-
tabish small European colony must be considered
unusually successful. Newera Ella became a
fashionable place of resort for the English officials
and their families who. from January until May,
came up from the hot coast regions to recruit Sir
Samuel established brewery (which was probably
more profitable than agricultural laid out roads,
built church, and seems to have been, IN the end
quite satisfied with his venture. The climate proved
to be very healthy and the English labOrers he had
brought with him prOspered the cattle and sheep
gradually became acclimated, increased and
Aourished and whatever drawbacks remained. the
game in the surrounding forests was permanent
consolation.
After brief description of his colonization, Sir
Samuel devotes the remainder of his work t.
sketches of the agriculture and productions Of Cey
lon its beasts birds and insects. and its mountain
scenery with incidental accounts of the natives and
their manner of life. Without being a proficient
naturalist he is shrewd observer and the chapters
describing the animals and insects peculiar to the
island are intelligently and attIactively written
His suggestions concerning the improvement of Cey-
lon and the restoration Of its decayng population,
are sound and sensible based, as they are, upon
what seem TO be sufficient explanations of the
change. These graver themes are enliYened by an
interesting description Of the ancient Cingaese city
of Polanarua and by exciting sketches Of the chase
of elephant and elk, in which Sir Samuel Baker
is a master. We have only space for the following
picture of a night encampment in the tropical
jungles:
know nothing interesting than the acquaintance
with all the wild denizens Of mountain and plain lake
and river. There is always something fresh 10 learn
something new to admire IN the Doundess MOTHS OF Srea
ton. There is charm IN every sound III Nature where
the voice Of man Is sedom heard to disturb her works
when night has OvershadOwed the EARTH and all sleep
but the wild animals Of the forest Then have often
banished all ideas Of reet and have silently wandered
from the listen TO the solemn quiet Of night
have the tired coolies stretched round the
Bmoudering fires sound asleep after their days march,
wrapped In white ci9 9t IKE 50 many eorpses
pile Of smbers cracking and sinking as they eonsnme
then resting again in dun red heat casting slvery
mOOnke glare upon the foliage OF the spreading trees
seepiy at their ethers their heads dropping in doze
Beyond them, and all Is darkness and wilderness No
human dwelling or being beyond tile little eDcampment
Tbave Guitted the dark lake rejecting the stars like
mirror. aud the thin crescent moon giving pale and In
distinct glare which just makes night visible.
IL lovely hour then wander forth and wait for
Wild sounds All is still except the tiny hum OF the
ketOes Then the low chueklug note Of the nghthawk
sounds soft and melancholy in the distance and again
al Is sti the heavy and impatient stamp OF horse
the nusketoes irrate linn by their bites. Quiet again
few seconds when presently the loud alarm Of the