Gold, Sport, and Coffee Planting in Mysore

Robert Henry Elliot (1837 – 1914), was an early British coffee planter in Mysore, India, and author of books on plantation life in Mysore. He arrived in Bombay in 1855 at 18 years of age. From there he sailed to Mangalore, then headed inland through the ghauts to the high plateau of Mysore where he joined Frederick Green, who had begun his plantation in 1843. The first European coffee plantation to its south had just started in 1854, while the second some 70 miles (110 km) north was being established by three Scottish planters. In 1856 Elliot started his own plantation at Bartchinhulla, Saklaspur, Mysore State. In this edition Robert Elliot shares in his own words the fascinating experiences of running a plantation in the jungles of Mysore during the early 20th century.