268 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1883 



the iungle trees interlaced their foliage and cast a 

 dense shade on the gi-ound. A calm and superstitious 

 silence pervaded all things and had an influence on me 

 mentally which was not cheermg. I sat down on an ad- 

 ioining log and thought that at last I had trod a part of 

 the world where no other whitetoot had been save my own, 

 I fairly hugged myself with delight. In the midst of my 

 selfglorification, I noticed a something ghnting. I ap- 

 proached the spot and saw where tlie sun's rays had pe- 

 netrated the dense foliage reflected from oft' soraethmg 

 bright I stooped and picked up this soraethmg, and 

 to my horror and surprize beheld an empty -^Torcestei- 

 shh-e sauce-bottle. Here had not only been some one before 

 me but all the luxury of a civilized commimity. My pride 

 was awfully shocked. I called the interpreter and sighed 

 and said " Let us go hence," and we went. 



After ten days' .sail, which was rather dull and mouo- 

 tonious, we sighted the first of the Gilbert islands, Tamana. 

 ■We did not go on shore, but the natives came off in swarms 

 briuoing with them an abundance of fowls, and diminutive 

 Digs" and eggs. These articles we exchanged for tobaccj. 



At four o'clock in the afternoon we again sailed away for 

 Nonouti (pronounced Nanootch). The captain was rather 

 doubtful as to whether it would be adrisable to keep well 

 to Vfindward and steer between the islands of Peru and 

 Taputeonca or bear a Uttle westward and go to leeward ot the 

 latter island. 31,1 



The former course was decided upon and we shaped our 

 wav so as to have Peru five to ten miles to eastward. 



About 11 o'clock at night we were roused by a cry ot 

 breakers ahead. We were on deck in a moment and saw 

 quite close to us curling white breakers and a Uttle turther 

 off lights o£ natives fishing. , , , j , 



The hehn was put down and we slowly veered round. 

 Not a minute too soon however, for I could have cast a 

 stone among the breakers without much exertion A\ e 

 altered our course a little as we were quite at a loss to 

 know of our wliereabouts. Strauge to say, at daybreak tlie 

 same morning we were ag.ain roused by the same cry and 

 beheld the safne curling white breaker.s. This time closer 

 than before. The moment was a most intense and breath- 

 less one and I inwardly blessed the dear old schooner 

 for answering her helm in the smart way she did. 



We got clear but almost shaved the reef AVe du not, 

 much relish a wreck, although there would not have 

 been much danger to our lives ; but a so]Om-n on these 

 hospitable (?) islands for a year or so was not a pleasant 

 OTospect. I had a little experience of this kind on a 

 Former occasion. In returning from the island of Vanu 

 Levu Figu to Levuka on hoard a smaU scliooner, the 

 "Patience" we ran ashore on the Mokongai reef and 

 although not totally wrecked had a rough time ol it, 

 accordingly did not want an extended experience.— I guess 

 not as we say in the classics. 



At halt-past eight we took our longitude and found 

 ourselves to the leeward or west of the island Taputeonea 

 According to our calculations we had made leeway of 33 

 miles in twelve hours, or in other words there was an 

 ocean current running nearly three miles an hour to the 



^ if airadinff vessel misses the island she is making for 

 bv a few miles, the only way to do is to bear away 

 due north close to the wind 300 to 500 m.lcs beyond the 

 Muence of the current, and then eastward and return 

 S, as it is utterly impossible tor .a vessel to beat to 

 Xdward against the' current. The islands lying to the 

 north of Taputeonea have been visited by an American 

 survey ship; but all to the southward .ire marked _ on 

 the charts as " position doubtful ;" accordingly, a manner 

 navicatin" these seas cannot be too cautious and careful 

 The next day we arrived at Kououti where we stayed 



^ irn^y^next paper I will give you an account of man- 

 aers customs and laws of these islanders, which will be 

 interesting ; also an account of our passage thence to 

 San Francisco.— '\V. J. F. 



THE INDIAN TEA INDUSTRY. 



(Notes lij a Planter.) 



In considering the future of the tea industry m 



Tndin and the prospects of its out-turn m the ini- 



»ed»te itttiue. tWe M'e more thiugs to ho taken into 



consideration than the mere details ot weather, blight 

 and such like temporary considerations, important 

 enough though they be, when forming an opinion on 

 the prospects of the passing season. Even these may 

 be misleading, when, as in the case of tea, the period 

 of the crop extends over many months. The weather 

 changes, the blight gains or loses ground, and the 

 prospects of the crop vary accordingly. A weather- 

 cock, even when it has become so rusty that it will 

 not traverse, may ocoisionally point on the right 

 direction, by accident ; but one that hangs on so loosely 

 as to be perpetually shuffling and veering, without 

 reference to the quarter whence the wind blows, can 

 only serve to puzzle and mislead. In the case of tea, 

 as in other industries, there are many indices to be 

 consulted before an opinion could be formed as to 

 which way the wind is about to blow, to continue 

 the metaphor. The inducements old and new markets 

 show signs of offering, either for increased dema:id or 

 the reverse ; the question of the cost and supply of 

 labour on the sites of cultivation and manufacture ; the 

 action of the Legislature, as, f.c gr., the passing of the 

 Ilbert Bill, or new labour-laws ; all these and other 

 considerations have to be taken into account- Perhaps 

 of no field for speculative talent more than that of 

 prophecy can it be more aptly said, "Fools rush in 

 where angels fear to tread." Deprecating all intention 

 to pose as a prophet, I offer my readers the following 

 remarks on their own merits. 

 * * 



Tea bushes require from five to six years, accord- 

 inw to class, soil, climate, situation, etc., to arrive 

 at°full bearing. This fact has an importance in our 

 calculations as to the immediate prospects of the 

 out-turn, in the matter of quantity. Fm- instance, 

 by watching the extensions made year by year, i.e. 

 the number of additional acres put down under tea, 

 one could, all things being reasonably fiivourable, 

 form a fair estimate as to the percentage of increase 

 in out-turn for some years to come, by allowing for 

 each year its fair proportion of young plant to come 

 into partial and full bearing. Unfortuuatey, planters 

 have thwarted this possibility by withholding in many 

 instances the necessary returns applied for by Govern- 

 ment. This is one of the re-ults of the unhappy 

 enmity the Government of India of late years have 

 done all in their power to bring about between 

 themselves and the European community in India. 

 The eminent Judge Haliburton, of Nova .Scotia, 

 so well and widely known as " Sam Slick," and 

 for some time a member of the British House of 

 Commons, in speaking of the cavalier way in which 

 the English Colonists abroad are treated by the 

 mother country, said, " Colonists have no nationality. 

 They have no place, no station, no rank . . . They 

 are like our free niggers; they are emancipated, but 

 they h.avn't the same social position as the whites. 

 The fetters arc off, but the caste, as they call it in 

 India, remains. Colonists are the Pariahs 0) the E/iipire." 

 Times do not appear much changed since then, and 

 what with one treatment after another of late years, 

 planters may well feel that of the Indian Empire they 

 are looked upon by their rulers as the Pariahs. Thus 

 I do not wonder at human nature asserting itself in 

 them by tempting theiu to show their sense of ill-treat- 

 ment on every possible occasion, though I regret that 

 in this instance it deprives me of the most trustworthy 

 guide 1 could have in estimating the probable future 



out-turn of Indian tea. 



* * * * 



Without aclual figures as to the acreage put down each 

 year under tea in India, one has but a general know- 

 ledge as a guide, which, without allowing one to resort 

 to figures, still permits of a rough estimate as to the 

 rate of progress to be immediately anticipated, on 

 the basis of acreage under plant. Going back to 187(> 



