great pleasure in telling you, I always understood the plan of introducing Chinese into the West Indies was first suggested by you, whilst I was one of the said Commissioners; and I must. Sir, do you the justice to say, I never heard of any other person having proposed such a measure. Yours, &c.
“Dear Layman, – My brother, who has lately returned from Ceylon, tells me, that upon his arrival there he was surprised to find the ship surrounded by boats, loaded with vegetables of all kinds, for sale at moderate prices, and particularly so, as on a former voyage not a cabbage or pumpkin could be procured. On inquiry, it appeared that this circumstance was owing to the industry of the Chinese. General Maitland, the governor, being desirous of having a large morass cleared and drained, had some time before applied to some of the natives of Ceylon, who had given in an estimate of the expence and time within which they would undertake, with 100 men, to complete it. The general, not satisfied with this, applied to some Chinese, and having agreed to give them the produce of the soil for a certain number of years, twenty-five of them cleared and drained the morass, and converted it into a productive garden, in less time than the one hundred natives had proposed.
“My brother went over the garden with the governor, and nothing could be more complete. The Chinese had fenced it, and built houses; had divided it into different allotments among themselves, and, by turns, guarded it by night. They were peaceable and orderly to a degree; they worked in the gardens, and the women regularly took the produce to market for sale.
“I have thought this would be interesting to you, knowing what your mind is employed upon. I talked to my brother about introducing Chinese into the West Indies, and he has no doubt it would answer. His ideas of their indefatigable industry, agricultural talents, and disposition to emigrate, are precisely the same as yours. General Maitland is encouraging them to make sugar in Ceylon, which is in some progress. I am, dear Layman, your’s sincerely,
On the 28th May 1803, Lieutenant Layman, then again serving under Nelson, was appointed prize-master of l’Ambuscade 32, in which ship he captured two of the enemy’s merchant vessels, whilst on his passage to Gibraltar. In October following, he was promoted to the command of the Weazle sloop; and on the 6th Mar. 1804, the following
- ↑ See Nav. Chron. xxxvii, 452–458.
