Records of the clan and name of Fergusson, Ferguson and Fergus

490 CLAN FEEGUSSON
connected with the island. A further visit was made in
1871, and it was then that, in consequence of a threatened
breakdown, Sir William Gull advised him not to venture
back to England, at any rate save in summer, as his constitu-
tion was evidently thoroughly acclimatised to the tropics.
We must hurry on, however, to refer to Mr. Ferguson's
labours as Ceylon Commissioner to the Melbourne Exhibition
of 1880-81, for which he was chosen by universal acclama-
tion, while his services were acknowledged by his fellow-
colonists with a purse of R. 10,000, a gold watch and service
of plate, followed from Her Majesty, on the recommendation
of the Governor, by the honour of C.M.G. It is not for us to
say how well deserved these tributes to good work were, or
how his exertions on behalf of Ceylon tea in Melbourne bore
the good fruit in increasing exports which has gone on to the
present day. No more visits were paid to Europe, but Mr.
Ferguson made several trips to India — to the Nilgiris and to
Darjeeling, as well as other parts — in connection with his
promotion of the cinchona and tea-planting enterprises,
which he did so much to develop by his example as well as
by his writings. In this connection it may be mentioned
how heartily he welcomed the appearance of The Tropical
Agriculturist, which we had started during his absence in
Victoria, a stranger bringing a copy under his notice before
our first issue and advice had reached him. In the same
way each successive Handbook and Directory and each
Planting Manual from our press excited in him the liveliest
interest and satisfaction, while to many of them, of course, he
made valuable contributions. His own first Commonplace
Book and Directory appeared in 1859, and it was peculiarly
interesting for its " Planting Gazetteer " which we have often
wished to revise and republish. Directories were continued
in 1860 and onwards, but they were small volumes until
developed into the larger Handbook and Directory so well
known of recent times. From 1879 onwards Mr. Ferguson
had been spared the necessity of coming to his desk in the
Observer Office, but he was always reading or writing in the
public interest while in Colombo, and when at Abbotsford
his letters " From the Hills " were very regular. The illness