{"id":65480,"date":"2021-05-20T06:52:45","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T06:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=65480"},"modified":"2021-05-27T10:23:08","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T10:23:08","slug":"taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylers Tea Garden – By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy – Chapter 3 – The journey to the hills began……"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taylors Tea Garden – by Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

CHAPTER ONE (3)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

The journey to the hills began the next day. James was feeling happy to be in Ceylon. It was a green and peaceful place. Not at all like London. In some ways it was as peaceful as his home town Auchenblae.\u00a0 He wished his mother was there. Ever since she passed away, he felt a sense of great loss. It was as if he had lost a part of himself. He missed her warmth and a feeling of being with some one who truly loved him. His father was alright. But he was more a helpful person, a person who had James\u2019s\u00a0 best interests at heart. But there was something very special that was missing. A sense of warmth. I was as if the world was a secure and happy place when his mother was there. When he was with her, he felt secure and he felt he could be happy. When she passed away he could not believe it at first. He kept dreaming that she woke up. Surely she did not leave him for good? Why did she leave him? She never told him that she will leave him for good. Ever since she left him, he felt he was alone. He had his father and his sisters and brothers. But they were only compensation for his the loss of his mother. Now he did not have that person with whom he could be at peace with the world. The separation was unbearable. Yet he had survived. He had lived to become a young man. Ready to live a life of his own.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The journey by coach began along the Kandy Road. This road was used to transport coffee and some spices grown in the hill country down to the harbour for export. Some of the goods were transported by bullock cart. Some bullock carts\u00a0 had two bulls tethered to the cart. The bulls had long horns and looked quite sturdy. The cart drivers were wearing the sarong and were bare bodied. They sat at the front with their legs dangling, ready to use their feet to prod the animal to move faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Why don\u2019 t people here use horses, like we do Uncle\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The horses\u00a0 are used by some rich families. They need to pay more for horses. I suppose because horses run faster, the price of a horse is much more. The cattle here are quite sturdy. The people in Ceylon have always used cattle and even the poor farmers would have a pair of bullocks for transporting their produce and for travelling to other villages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The trees are really green. I like these red flowers.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That is the flamboyant tree. It is really useful .It spreads in all directions and provides a nice shade for people.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c How long will the journey last\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c It will take much of the day James\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I guess these people don\u2019t wear many cloths because the Sun is very hot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. The sarong they wear is very comfortable. We will get you a sarong. There might be one in the house for you. It\u2019s very comfortable and ideal for the warm weather.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Some of the ladies seem to be dressed differently\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Its called a saree. It\u2019s only worn when they are going to some important place like visiting some official or attending a wedding. The people here dress a bit different to the women in the hill country. You will see it for yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c It\u2019s a nice way of dressing I think.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Ah James. i can see you have an eye for the ladies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c No. I\u2019m just looking at the women.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c It starts like that James. Just Looking. Next thing you want to take a closer look.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c No. No. I\u2019m only interested in the dresses\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c No need to feel shy lad. The woman here like white men. I can assure you that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Really. Maybe we look different and they like it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c More than that. We are white people. We are the bosses here. When we say dance, they dance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That\u2019s not fair, I think. \u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Its not about fairness James. Its about ruling the country. If we get too friendly with the natives, we won\u2019t be able to get anything done. Like we need to export coffee and spices and sell our British goods here. If we are very friendly we won’t be able to order them around.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I see what you mean. I guess we need to keep our distance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Exactly. If we get married to them, heaven forbid, we will be just another group of Ceylonese living and working here. Not the bosses who get the work done and export the coffee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Agree Uncle Henry. The work has got be done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Exactly James. Why are we coming here? We are coming to work and get the workers to dig the land and plant the coffee trees. And then get them to harvest it. And of course, packing and exporting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I can see what needs to be done\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Some of our white people have got married to local people. Some Portugese, Dutch and even British are settled here. They are not going back ever.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen did the Portugese and the Dutch come over ?\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The Portugese arrived in Ceylon about three hundred years ago, around 1505. They were in India and in East Indies, Java and Sumatra and all those islands. They stopped the Indians from trading with Java and Sumatra and in command of West coast of India until the Dutch came.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c When did the Dutch come Uncle?\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbout two hundred years ago. They had naval wars with the Portugese and took command of Ceylon and most of the islands like Java and Sumatra until we British got interested and came over to Ceylon and took over from the Dutch. They had their headquarters in the North in Jaffna and called the North the Holland of the East.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Did the Dutch leave peacefully?\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c They left Ceylon after an Indian King attacked their ships and destroyed their ships near the Southern tip of India. But they did continue their trade with Java and Sumatra. We the British have been ruling in Ceylon and India since I would say beginning of the eighteenth century.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The coach stopped in Kadawatta. The horses were changed . A new team of horses took over. The next stop was in Nittambuwa. The hill country was taking shape. There were low lying hills around the area. There were paddy fields covering the low lying land.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The plantations will start after we pass these low lying areas\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Any coffee in the low country ?\u201d asked James<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. Some coffee is being grown called low country Robusta coffee. This is growing in the South of the country in the Kelani Valley, Rakwana . These are all in the South of the country\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I guess the better quality coffee is grown up in the hill country\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. The prices are much better for the hill country coffee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The country side has a different smell\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. The fresh air is different here. It must be the hills making an impact here. The type of trees growing and the type of crops\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I see that the dogs around here are mostly brown. They look very skinny too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The breeds are different. The native dogs are sturdy and suited to the climate. Our Scotch Terriers will find it very hot.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After a few hours, the coach stopped at\u00a0 the town was called Kegalle. The packed sandwiches came out and they had lunch while seated in the coach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The bread tastes different. \u201c said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes James. The bread made here is more like the Portugese style bread. The continental style bread is drier. The yeast has a different taste.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I like it. It has a different flavour\u201d said James.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They got out of the coach and walked a little.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c This town is about half way to Kandy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I can see some tall hills from here\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. From now on we will be starting to climb steadily.\u201d said Henry<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. There is freshness to the air as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c We will be climbing at a steady pace until we get to Kadugannawa. That\u2019s when we\u2019 ll see the strongest climb.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A new team of horses took over. The horses\u00a0 worked hard to move the laden carriage. Their heads moved up and down as they pulled the coach up the\u00a0 road.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Occasionally, they passed a small family groups walking. James\u2019 s eyes alighted on the young girls each time. They seemed to be very attractive. Brown but with a golden hue. Some were very fair with attractive features. They smiled in a charming way, with shyness but the smile was radiant. The women were very slim and shapely. They seemed to enjoy the sight of white people. Some little kids waved their hands. Henry and James waved back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They started seeing paddy fields with water buffaloes working with half their feet\u00a0 inside the mud and water. Often, they could see a pair of buffaloes or cattle pulling ploughs along. Sometimes only one animal pulled the plough. The farmer had his sarong tied up tight around his buttocks and waist so that it did not get wet in the paddy field. He held the leash with one hand and a cane with a string in the other hand , ready to slash it down to move the animals when they slowed down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Smoke rose from\u00a0 some roof tops. James noticed that the houses did not have chimneys.\u00a0 The houses did not need any heating. Smoke rose from gaps in the roofing.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Small openings in the roofing could be seen for smoke to escape from the kitchens . These openings had a raised roof to allow the kitchen smoke to escape while the raised roof over the kitchen kept the rain out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The coach stopped again after about an hour. There were road side markets. The horses got fed. The coachman bought himself some vegetables. He offered to get some coconuts for Henry and James and the other passengers. Everyone got down and drank the coconut water out of the coconut.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt tastes delicious\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Agreed. it\u2019s great refreshment James.\u00a0 This is one of the great delights of being in a tropical country. Drinking coconut juice from a coconut. The soft flesh inside can be eaten. When you have had your drink,\u00a0 give coconut back. They will use cut it in two halves and\u00a0 you will be able eat the soft pulpy fruit inside with a spoon made from a piece of the coconut.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They drank from the coconut and ate the soft jelly like fruit inside with a spoon made from the husk of the coconut. Soon they set off again. The horses were tiring as the gradient was very steep in some places. A new team of horses took over. The coachman made frequent stops. The road made a very steep curve at Kadugannawa. The road was tunnelled\u00a0 through a rock. Henry, James and some of the passengers got out of the coach and walked to make it easier for the horses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The engineers have been commended for their good engineering and honoured in the Queens awards\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c This looks like very difficult work. The boulders are really huge and the cliffs are steep. It must be very hard work.\u201d replied James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The views from\u00a0 Kadugannawa were magnificent. It was as if one could see all the way to the coast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Queen Victoria has a special interest in Ceylon. She has praised Ceylon\u2019s coffee.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c We are working here to make sure that that the much commended coffee is grown and sent to England I guess\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c You and I will not be coming to live and work here if not for coffee. Mind you there are other products that can be sold in London\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c You mean spices?\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Spices and other things like gems. You see there are gem pits not very far from this place. It\u2019s not very far but the roads have not been built yet. The place with a lot gems and gem mining pits is called Ratnapura \u201c said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That must be a place worth visiting.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. There are local Muslim merchants who do come to Colombo with these wonderful gems. They trek through the hill country to reach Ratnapura and Kandy which is at the centre of the island. The road has been built and a railway is about to be built. Red rubies from Ratnapura are some of the best in the world. The sapphires are very attractive and the gem polishing here is excellent. The workers sit down on the floor and use their tools to great advantage. The London merchants buy them at any price. The ladies in the Royal Palace are very keen to wear Ceylon gems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c It\u2019s for the rich folk I guess. But ordinary people would be able to buy spices. Spices are not so difficult to find I suppose.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. Spices are to be found closer to Colombo. Cinnamon and pepper grow well in the South.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Do we send any coconuts to England? Will they last the journey ?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Alas no James. The coconut does not survive the journey very well. But the flesh inside the coconut is\u00a0 dried in the Sun and this is called copra. They make desiccated coconut from copra. The copra is shredded and made into desiccated coconut. It\u2019s used to make tasty biscuits called nice and other biscuits. Very much used in cakes too. This is a rare commodity in Europe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I\u2019ve heard my mother mention desiccated coconut.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Ah! Yes. Desiccated coconut is much sought after. It can be transported by sea once the drying and desiccation is completed. Dried coconut\u00a0 is called copra. Copra can be turned into coconut powder for baking and cake making.\u201d said Henry. He seemed to relish the thought of eating cake for he smiled as he spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The vegetation was very different here. There was a lushness that seemed\u00a0 to have a special green hue all it\u2019s own. The freshness of the air was invigorating. Here the air was impregnated with coolness that made James feel long for home. He thought of his family. He felt sad that his mother could not be come with him. She would have been delighted to look at these hills and the greenery and feel the freshness of the cool air. He even missed his sisters and brothers. If Uncle Henry was not there, he would have been ready to take the next boat home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They passed a temple. The building was like a dome with a pinnacle at the top of the dome. Drummers were beating the drums and walking towards the temple. A small group of people walked in a procession , behind the drummers.\u00a0 They were carrying pots on their heads. The procession was headed towards the temple.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That\u2019s the Buddhist temple James. These people are headed for the temple with some offerings of food.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They could hear birds chirping as the coach passed a tall tree. There was a breeze but they felt hot. The breeze had been heated by the Sun in the plains. The smell of the paddy fields was comforting. It reminded him of home, the smell of the fields after harvest. He felt as if the farmers here were people he already knew. He felt it in his bones. Thoughts of home and his father and family rose in him and fell away as the carriage moved along.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 James was taken with the\u00a0 unusual trees and plants.\u00a0 The tropical orchids interested him enormously. He noticed them growing on trees. One tree looked like a palm tree but it was taller and had a heavy bunch of what seemed like flowers hanging down from the tree. There was a tall tree with what seemed like huge thorny fruit hanging from its trunk. Each fruit could have been two feet long and\u00a0 more than a foot wide. He pointed out the tree to Henry. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is that tree with those enormous fruit. Are they really fruit ? They are so large but somehow\u00a0 cling to the tree trunk\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That\u2019s the jack fruit tree James. I saw it in the market in Colombo. It\u2019s a famous fruit in most tropics. Jack fruit is delicious. We will find the fruit being sold in some shops and vegetable markets. You must try it. Very sweet and has a very distinctive taste. It\u2019s full of nectar. You will enjoy it.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When the coach stopped, he could hear many birds singing. He was reminded of his mother. She always pointed out the birds to him asking him to listen to the bird songs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The horses were changed. A new team of horses took over.\u00a0 They got out of the coach to stretch their legs. The air was cool, extra fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c There was another strange looking tree. It seemed to have flowers stretching down from the top near the palm fronds to about half way down the tree, thick bushes surrounding the trunk.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c You are describing the kitul tree I think. This tree is really a palm tree. I was reading about it\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. It was a palm tree. It looked like a thin coconut tree but there were no fruit at the top So I knew it was not a coconut tree. There were bushes dropping down all around the tree.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That is the kitul tree. It is a type of palm tree. The fruit are used for making treacle. They cut the trunk of the fruit at the top and hang a bucket under it. The treacle pours out into the bucket. It\u2019s quite delicious\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Some green coloured birds flew overhead in formation. They made loud screeching sounds as they flew.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Parrots are very pretty here.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c They are quite pretty with their yellow beaks and green festhers. The sound they make is very nice too. It\u2019s not a chirp or a whistle but more a cry\u00a0 \u201d said James.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. They are pretty creatures. The woods in the hills can support a large population of birds.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c If I\u2019m in a suitable place, I would like to have some birds around the place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Your place could be quite good for birds. It\u2019s a new plantation that needs to be cleared and planted.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I might end up chasing the birds away. Looks like I have to roll up my sleeves and get to work immediately. I don’t mind it. I like this place. It\u2019s warm and sunny and why would i want to be indoors?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Good attitude James. That\u2019s the spirit. They would start you in a place where you can learn some things about how\u00a0 plantations are developed. And then you will be sent to work. You will learn by doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I\u2019m happy with that Uncle Henry. I like the smell of the earth. The\u00a0 smells of the soil. I\u00a0 enjoyed digging the soil In Scotland. But I spent most of my time cleaning the barns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The coach was approaching a large boulder.\u00a0 It was dominating the road and the surrounding areas, threatening to bulldoze everything around the area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I don\u2019t like to think how this massive rock came to be in this place. It\u2019s so large that it can crush everything in it\u2019s way all the way to Colombo harbour.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Our Scottish highlands are so different. They are amazing in their own way, craggy and huge. I like both type of highlands. I think i will never leave this place unless I have to go because the company wants to send me away.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c James you must be level headed. I agree the country is very beautiful and a great place to work. But you must also think of your life when you are an older man. You will want a family. You will want to send them to schools back home. Your wife will want to be with her parents and brothers and sisters.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I\u2019m only wishing I can stay and work forever. It may not happen.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c You are a young lad, just starting out in life. Everything is possible. You are master of your destiny.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c In that case I will stay on as long as i can.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That\u2019s a reasonable way to plan your career. The planters life does not suit everyone. It\u2019s not so much the work as the society we will live in. The local people have their own lifestyle, their own religions and styles of cooking.\u00a0 Most are Hindus or Buddhists. Only a handful are Christians.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. I understand. I was only wishing. I know things could turn out to be different.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The road was rough and the horses had to pull hard to move along it. There was a curve and the road seemed to flatten out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c We are now on a fairly flat road. It\u2019s really a plateau. Our next stop will be Peradeniya. The Peradeniya Gardens is rather important to us planters. The coffee trees and tea bushes are brought to Peradeniya Gardens for trials. The scientists and botanists develop nurseries and observe how they grow. There is also the Haggala Gardens which also important for trials when the plants are brought from overseas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Are we stopping over at Peradeniya?\u201d asked James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c No. The gardens are very large, spreads out a lot. We could get carried away and not get to the place where we are supposed to go to while the light is still good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A dog came out of a small house and started barking at the coach and the horses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I feel very home sick\u00a0 hearing this dog\u201d said James, whistling at the dog.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Don\u2019t worry. There will a dog at your place. Lots of dogs around. \u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Thanks for that. it does feel nice to be able to have birds and dogs around. Makes me feel very cheerful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The people are nice too.\u00a0 You must be careful about the girls though. They are attractive and you could find yourself in a situation where you could get tied down. You are only sixteen years old.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Thanks for that Uncle Henry. I will be\u00a0 careful about this. Back home, I was told that Janet Ross was a good match for me. But I was only fourteen then. I\u00a0 wanted to run away and join the Navy or Army. I\u00a0 don\u2019t want to get involved in a family situation. Children are the last thing in my mind. I don\u2019t think I\u2019m inclined to be a family man anyway.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Good. Think carefully. Be aware of the pitfalls. Plan your moves.\u201d said Henry and continued.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c There it is,\u00a0 the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. It\u2019s on the left. We will turn right here and head up the road towards Hewaheta.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The coachman slowed down as the turn right approached. The gate to the botanical gardens was on the left and open. The coachman tugged at the reins\u00a0 and the horses turned right, slowing down to a gentle walk as they entered the Hewahata Road.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Now we are heading for the Narangghena Estate. It\u2019s been growing sugar but they want to change to coffee. George Pride owns it . He owns a lot of coffee estates in Ceylon, maybe about a thousand acres. He also owns about another thousand acres of land which he wants to develop into plantations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That\u2019s a lot of land to develop. There is a lot of work involved I can see.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Coffee was introduced by the Arabs and the Persians. Sinhalese cultivated it for both the leaves and the seeds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I didn\u2019t know coffee was already growing in Ceylon.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. It was but not in plantations. People grew the tree in their gardens along with fruit trees and vegetables. Coffee plantations were started by us British planters. Mind you we are facing problems with coffee blight. But we are fighting it off. \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That would be a disaster if the trees died.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c We should be thinking about tea . It\u2019s all up in the air a bit. Tea was tried out maybe about ten years ago, around 1840 by two Germans, Gabriel and Maurice Worms. They imported tea to plant at Rothschild\u2019s estate in Pussellawa and at Condegalla Estate in Ramboda. Objections were made about importing Chinese labour. It was a failure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Looks like tea is a big challenge. I hope they ask me to try growing tea.\u00a0 It\u2019s something I would like to take on.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That will be a big journey James. Chances of succeeding are not very good.\u00a0 Lots of clever planters have tried growing tea. It\u2019s not so much growing tea but rather making a profit from it. The tea rollin process is very time consuming and labour intensive.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Time will tell I guess.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 *<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The carriage continued towards Hewahata.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The trees on either side of the road were in bloom. There were flowers of every colour.\u00a0 Purple, white, pink, red and blue. It was as if the trees were planted by a gardener.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The road is lined with beautiful trees. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Maybe it was\u00a0 a sort of park where the rulers came to spend their leisure time. Peradeniya is very close to Kandy. Kandy is where the royal palace was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Sounds very interesting. Don’t the royalty rule any more?\u201d asked James<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Of course not. We British had to wait a long time to get a foothold in this part of the country. The hills were steep and terrain\u00a0 so bad that the Army could never carry out a proper attack. The Kandyan King\u2019s army was able to simply throw stones and roll boulders at the the British Army.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c And how did we finally manage to get into this part of the country?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That\u2019s\u00a0 a long story. What happened was that the King\u2019s Chief Minister was upset about not being made the King or something like that. He was overlooked and the Council of Chiefs brought a prince from South India. In addition, I think one of the Chief Minister\u2019s\u00a0 relatives was sentenced to death for plotting against the King. The outcome was that the Chief Minister sneaked away and met with the British commander in Colombo. He showed the way up into the hill country by taking a route which avoided any clashes with the Kandyan Kings Army. So we had no difficulty capturing the King.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That is an interesting story. And what happened to the King?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c The King of the Kandyan Kingdom was taken away to India and dumped back in his old place some where in South India.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c I guess we had no problem in doing this as India is also under our rule.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Exactly. Even during Dutch rule in Ceylon, we had some English people living in Kandy. There was a young man called Robert Knox who lived in Kandy during Dutch rule about a hundred years ago. He wrote a book about hid nineteen years spent in Kandy. The book created a lot of interest in Kandy. The British wanted to capture Kandy and they did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The coach waded through a small brook and entered a slight climb and the horses slowed down. The birds chirped and the Sun was golden as it was now low over the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c That brook should be sorted out. The carriages can\u2019t wade through it loaded with coffee or tea. The carriage will get stuck in the mud.\u201d said Henry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Yes. We should have a pipe under the road for the water to run through. The coaches can can have a smooth journey.\u201d said James.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Maybe something for you to arrange now that you are a planter using this road.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c Agree. I might have to do something about this brook. It\u2019s a problem for the transportation \u201dreplied James<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Taylors Tea Garden – by Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy CHAPTER ONE (3) The journey to the hills began the next day. James was feeling happy to be in Ceylon. It was a green and peaceful place. Not at all like London. In some ways it was as peaceful as his home town Auchenblae.\u00a0 He wished his mother […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":65477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34884,20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-65480","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ajit-muttucumaraswamy","8":"category-articles","9":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"\nTaylers Tea Garden - By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy - Chapter 3 - The journey to the hills began...... - eLanka<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taylers Tea Garden - By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy - Chapter 3 - The journey to the hills began......\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taylors Tea Garden – by Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy CHAPTER ONE (3) The journey to the hills began the next day. James was feeling happy to be in Ceylon. It was a green and peaceful place. Not at all like London. In some ways it was as peaceful as his home town Auchenblae.\u00a0 He wished his mother […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"eLanka\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-20T06:52:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-27T10:23:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"eLanka admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"24 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\"},\"headline\":\"Taylers Tea Garden – By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy – Chapter 3 – The journey to the hills began……\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-20T06:52:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-27T10:23:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/\"},\"wordCount\":4746,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy\",\"Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/\",\"name\":\"Taylers Tea Garden - By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy - Chapter 3 - The journey to the hills began...... - eLanka\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-20T06:52:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-27T10:23:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":400},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Taylers Tea Garden – By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy – Chapter 3 – The journey to the hills began……\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"description\":\"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization\",\"name\":\"eLanka\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg\",\"width\":192,\"height\":82,\"caption\":\"eLanka\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd\",\"name\":\"eLanka admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"eLanka admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Taylers Tea Garden - By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy - Chapter 3 - The journey to the hills began...... - eLanka","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Taylers Tea Garden - By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy - Chapter 3 - The journey to the hills began......","og_description":"Taylors Tea Garden – by Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy CHAPTER ONE (3) The journey to the hills began the next day. James was feeling happy to be in Ceylon. It was a green and peaceful place. Not at all like London. In some ways it was as peaceful as his home town Auchenblae.\u00a0 He wished his mother […]","og_url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/","og_site_name":"eLanka","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","article_published_time":"2021-05-20T06:52:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-05-27T10:23:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"eLanka admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"eLanka admin","Est. reading time":"24 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/"},"author":{"name":"eLanka admin","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd"},"headline":"Taylers Tea Garden – By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy – Chapter 3 – The journey to the hills began……","datePublished":"2021-05-20T06:52:45+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-27T10:23:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/"},"wordCount":4746,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg","articleSection":["Ajit MuttuCumaraswamy","Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/","name":"Taylers Tea Garden - By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy - Chapter 3 - The journey to the hills began...... - eLanka","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg","datePublished":"2021-05-20T06:52:45+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-27T10:23:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Loolecondera-tea-600x400-1.jpg","width":600,"height":400},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/taylors-tea-garden-by-ajit-muttucumaraswamy-chapter-one-3\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/category\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Taylers Tea Garden – By Ajit MutuCumsrawamy – Chapter 3 – The journey to the hills began……"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#website","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","name":"eLanka","description":"eLanka - Sri lanka events in Australia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#organization","name":"eLanka","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/elanka-logo.jpg","width":192,"height":82,"caption":"eLanka"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eLanka.com.au\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/elanka\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SriLankanDownUnder"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/f6e635b74ab35ef88a68a9973cacc5bd","name":"eLanka admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2e0d346a7f97b80e861cdeafe7b7de523b59f5060666f1a5da8369457bf9b6c3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"eLanka admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew"],"url":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/author\/elanka\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65480"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65530,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65480\/revisions\/65530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}