GOLD, SPORT, AND COFFEE PLANTING IN MYSORE
WITH CHAPTERS ON
COFFEE PLANTING IN COORG, THE MYSORE REPRESENTATIVEASSEMBLY, THE INDIAN CONGRESS,CASTE, AND THE INDIANSILVER QUESTION
BEING THE 38 YEARS' EXPERIENCES OF A MYSORE PLANTER
BY
ROBERT H. ELLIOT
AUTHOR OF "EXPERIENCES OF A PLANTER," "WRITTEN ON THEIR FOREHEADS," ETC.
WITH A MAP IN COLOURS
WESTMINSTER
1898.
DEDICATION.
I have much pleasure in dedicating this book to myfriend SIR K. SHESHADRI IYER, K.C.S.I., Dewan ofMysore, and trust that it may be useful in making morefully known the resources of the State whose affairs he hasfor many years so wisely and ably administered.
PREFACE.
In the year 1871 I published "The Experiences of aPlanter in the Jungles of Mysore," and had intendedto bring out a new edition of it, but, from various causes,the project was delayed, and when I at last took the matterin hand, I found that so many things had happened since1871 that it was necessary to write a new book. In this,hardly anything of the "Experiences" has been reproduced,except a very few natural history notes and the chapter onCaste, a subject to which I would particularly call the attentionof those interested in Indian missions.
I have been much assisted by informants too numerousfor mention here, and can only allude to those who havemost conspicuously aided me. Amongst these I am muchindebted to my friend Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer, K.C.S.I.,Dewan of Mysore, for access given me to information inthe possession of the Government, and for returns speciallyprepared for the book. From my friends Mr. GrahamAnderson and Mr. Brooke Mockett, two of the most ableand experienced planters in Mysore, I have derived muchinformation and assistance. I am particularly obliged tomy friend Dr. Voelcker[1] for many valuable hints, and thechapter on manures has had the advantage of beingread by him. For information as regards the historyof coffee in Coorg I am much indebted to Mr. Meynell,who represents the large interests of Messrs. Mathesonand Co. in that province, and indeed, without his aid,I could not at all have done full justice to the subject.To Mr. Grey, manager of the Nundydroog mine, I am indebtedfor information as regards the gold mines, and for thekind assistance he in many ways afforded me when I visitedthem last January. I am also obliged to Colonel Grant,Superintendent of the Mysore Revenue, Survey and SettlementDepartment, for information as regards game, andthe proposed Game Act for Mysore.
I had intended to add a chapter on the cultivation ofcardamoms and pepper, but have not done so, because, forthe want of recent information from those specially engagedin these cultivations, I could not feel confident of doing fulljustice to the subject. I may, however, say that as regardscardamoms, I have good reason for supposing that there isnot much to be added to the chapter on them whichappeared in the "Experiences."
Though I have collected many experiences, I am