Edgar Leopold Layard

“ I don't profess to be a scientific naturalist, I have Never been rich enough to purchase the books required for the study, and my life has been spent in countries where no museums existed, save those I myself established. In Ceylon I founded a museum in connection with the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Calcutta, what became of it I do not know, after my connection with the island was severed. At the Cape, the Museum also of my founding still flourishes. All I lay claim to is a certain knowledge of the life history of the Birds of the countries I have inhabited. ”

“ At “Thecla corner” we could always be sure if seeing, if not catching, the glorious blue Thecla hercules and parada, giants of their families, and great prizes to us, accustomed only to the little-”blues and Hairstreaks” of England. What long walks did we take to secure the food plant of some favourite caterpillar we were nursing, and whose transformations my “better-half” was drawing and painting, and what a delight it was to watch the Butterfly or moth emerge from its pupa,and then the lovely perfect specimen we secured [ ] . I remember the first huge [ ] that we successfuly reared. ”

“ Meanwhile I had come across a young lady who had a great taste for zoology! but we were so young that though we knew our own minds, we felt that we should not persuade others that we did so! and for some time it was simply an exchange of insects, by the carriers card, in a nice little Cork-lined box, but under the covering paper was generally found a few slips of other paper sadly perforated with pins it is true, but not the less dear and precious to those who knew where to look for them! ”

“ The wife, I know, would never spend a sixpence unnecessarily, and I may as well say at once, that in all our poverty and straits, I have, thanks to her, never owed a sixpence that I could not pay on demand.I was shortly after landing seized with a terrible illness, and Doctor Templeton of the Artillery, who attended my relatives in Ceylon came to me. He quickly spied out our butterfly nets, and cross-questioning my little wife, wormed out of her our history and pursuits. From that moment he was the “one that sticketh closer than a brother”. ”

“ The merciless chaffing I got over my poor duck, has never been forgotten, and many times and oft, when I am filling up a neck, does my dear old long-lost friends merry face, with the humorous twinkle of the eye, rise to my rememberance. ”

“ We had “no encumbrances”, and when circuit time came, we got a friend to take our furniture, gave up our house, packed ourselves, with gun, Butterfly net, collecting box for shells, and ditto for caterpillars, into our little buggy, and off we went round the south coast to Galle, stopping at the circuit towns on the way.What glorious fun it was! and with what delight did we drink in the beauties of nature, so bountifully spread around us. How different our life and [ ] were to those with whom our lot was cast, may be gathered from the following anecdotes. ”

“ I can recollect the “bitter too too awful” stink of that cupboard, arising from the remains of his of a faithful domestic, a Belgian, whom my father had picked up somewhere after Waterloo, with a bullet in his head or through it, I am not sure which, but my belief to this day is that he had a great portion of his skull replaced by a silver plate. If he had not, I shall still believe it, so it don't matter to dispute it. He was out of a class — old nurse being another — of servants now nearly, if not quite, extinct. He and she were faithful living, friends, not domestics. ”

“ Every bird and beast was killed and stuffed by him, from the lordly Eagle to the tiny shrew — [ ] every butterfly, moth, beetle, shell etc., had and set out by himself. This aquaintance set fast the color of my life. My kind friend shewed me the haunts of the rare butterflies and moths, and actually drove me over to Richborough Castle that I might catch the then, to me,
[
] Aporia crataji, or “black veined white”, with my own net. Ah! was not that day to be remembers, thou' it occurred so long ago” in the merry day! — the merry days! When we were young”. ”

“ At Point Pedro I was a rich man £300 per annum & house free, living was cheap. We got a big turtle for sixpence, as much or more delicious fish that we could eat for a fanain (21⁄2) . Others might have been lonely, but we had our time well filled up. ”

“ At this juncture a cousin wrote from Ceylon saying he had heard of my mechanical [turn] and offered me employment in a coffee estate, to develop the water power etc.I was now just turned twenty one and my love had been faithful already three years! So said my dear mother, “Marry and go” — and so I did. My loving young wife had taught herself drawing and painting that she might help me in my zoological pursuits, and few have experienced the exquisite delight that we two young people did, in making acquaintance with Tropical scenery and animal life. ”

“ My Wifes time was of course much taken up with “the Baby” my eldest son, Leopold, who of all our seven children has about survived, to help me in my favourite pursuits, & nursing and delineation of caterpillers, gave way to other nursing! -------on my last journey to Jaffna (the northern circuit) I had acquired my favourite weapon “Long Tom” now so well known in the collecting world. ”

“ All my other guns had been stolen from me by the rascally natives — my own servants (would that the barrels would have burst in their hands, & shatter them!) just before the circuit commenced.With this wonderful little weapon I soon repaid Blyth his outlay, & ere I left Ceylon had brought up the list of known species from 182 to 318!! Every bird enumerated with the exception of some half a dozen (if so many) got by Dr. Kelaart, fell to my own shot, & was skinned, & preserved by me. Every one was sent to Blyth, and the types were retained in the Calcutta Museum, often his description of them. ”

“ I have collected all the time I have been here, we have not a tenth part of what you have. Did you young people really catch them all yourselves?” We assured her we had done so in our morning and evening walks “Walks?” she exclaimed “Walk? do you walk?I never do, I have a carriage!” ...then said my little woman — you won’t have a collection!” How we did tramp about! What lovely spots we found. We knew every path and track through the cinnamon jungle and named them according to the insects we caught there. On Sphinx road” we have seen thousands of Sphingidae of an evening. ”

“ We fed the great fat green caterpillars on cinnamon and cajea leaves and when they finally wove their massive cocoons we saw that the breeding cages lent us by our dear old friend Dr Templeton would be to small for the expansion of the perfect insects wings. A “happy thought” came into the wife's head. She pinned up the large cocoons inside our big mosquito net!How Templeton laughed and chaffed us with fly allusions to “professional services”, that sent one of us flying from the room! ”

“ Dr Templeton told me of your cash, and he wants to keep you in town, to help him in his zoological pursuits and the berth is £80 better than the other, and a sure step to a magistracy if you will read for the Bar. I will help you in your studies, and as I have met you several times, I know what you can do. If you will take the berth I will advance you a couple of months pay out of my own pocket to start you with a horse and trap, you can repay me at your leisure”. ”

“ I found however that my pay was to date from day of gazetting, & there was a little allowance for starting, in lieu of passage money, as I was supposed to be on the spot, so I soon repaid my loan & as the pay was £800 and the Museum £100 & a home I soon pulled up and began a “nest-egg” for my wife and child, in case of my death. My boy was in England under his uncle, my brother-in-law's care, who placed him at Eton. Death however upset all our plans for the future. ”

“ He still refused so I “took” my bill and sat down quickly and wrote To E.G. Layard
“For horse hire so many days and so much” far more than the coolie allowance came too!! “Billy G” in a fit took off the Bill to the Col. Sec. Sir J.E.T. — “See” said he — the impudence of my young cousin!” My good kind friend laughed very heartily — “Pay him his coolie allowance”, he said — “I know he has undergone the fatigue to save a few pounds, he has such a horror of debt!”.I got my money and well it was I did, for on my return home from circuit was met with a surprise and a confession! ”

“ We were still poor in worldly circumstances but rich in ourselves — in love of our pursuits, and of each other, and our little one. A change however was to come. A vacancy occurred at Point Pedro, at the entrance north of the Island, near Jaffna. Many who had become acquainted with me on circuit urged me to apply for the Berth, that of Magistrate. Judge S, tho' loudly lamenting that he should lose me, gave me a warm letter of recommendation to Lord Torrington, our then Governor, and I know I should have the support of our Colonial Secretary Mr. ”

“ Templeton came in and found us pondering our “ways and means”. “Faith now”, said he letting out his Irish brogue as he often did when fully facetious — “What makes you young folks so down in the mouth? We are three days from “pay-day” (the end of the month) and the [Byoherqui] is empty!! ”