February i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



645 



THE COCOS ISLANDS. 



Frotu one of wliich a correspondeut writes (below), are, 

 as we pointed out before, not the dependencies of Ceylon, 

 which lie midway between Ceylon and Western Aust- 

 ralia, in about lat. 12 S. and long. 97 E., and are known 

 as the Cocos or Keeliug Islands. Shortly after their an- 

 nexation to Ceylon we quoted an interesting paper on 

 these islands from the Journal of the Geographical 

 Societi/. The Cocos Islands from which our oorrespon 

 dent writes are thus described in Hunter's Imperial 

 Oazelteer of India : — 



Cocos, The. — Two islands in the Bay of Bengal, situated in 

 last 14 " 10' X., long. 93' 10' E. ; 45 miles nortli of the Great 

 Andaman, and a short distance south of Table Island, on 

 which there is a lighthouse. The larger .tnd more northerly 

 of the two, called the Great Coco, is a low oblong-shaped 

 island, between (i jind 7 miles in length and 2 miles broad ; 

 area, about 14 square miles. The smaller island, or Little 

 Coco, is 2^ miles long and about a mile broad ; and lies 

 between the Great Andaman and Great Coco. Both islands 

 are to a great extent protected by the Audamans from the 

 heavy south-west swell of the Bay of Bengal ; but more or 

 less boisterou8|weal her prevails in October and May, when the 

 nortli-west and south west monsoons respectively set in. The 

 Great Coco is suirouuded by a strip of white coral beach, on 

 which gi'ows an almost continuous fence of cocoa-nut trees. 

 Viewed from a distance, the island appears to be entirely 

 covered with these palms (to which it doubtless owes its 

 name) ; but in reality they form only a narrow belt, the 

 interior being covered with forest trees. One or two parallel 

 ridges, running north aud south througli the centre of the 

 island, rise to a height not exceeding 50 feet. The island 

 appears (from a careful examination made in 1874) to be 

 destitute of drinking water : although it has been said that 

 a good tank exists somewhere. A few wild pigs are found, 

 and there are mauy birds. The meteorologisal aspects of 

 the islands do not difler from those of the Andumans. It is 

 oil record that a party of 3 Europeans, 1 East Indian, and 

 8 Burmese tried to effect a settlement on the Great Cooo 

 in 1849; but the projects had to be abandoned, 7 of the 

 party having suocnmbed to fever shortly after they landed. 

 In 187!5, the Governor-General invited tenders tor a fifty 

 years' lease of the Great Coco. 



It will be seen that the above bears out what we 

 said as to the unhealthiness (in the past at least) of 

 these islands. lu saying that they lay oflf the coast of 

 Burma, we meant that Burma was the nearest mainland 

 to them. Our correspondent in these lonely isles says : — 

 Cocos Island, 31st October 1882. 



The Tropical Agriculturist is indeed a most valuable 

 book, and I would ask you to coutinue sending it. 

 Having only coolies here )'ou can imagine such a book 

 is a regular God-send, without taking into consider- 

 ation the valuable information it contains. Please 

 also continue sending the Observer. No paper is too old 

 for this part of the world, as we sometimes do not get 

 any communication with Rangoon for two months. 

 In the Ofot'/ cer I see you fay these islands are off the 

 coast of Burma, and most unhealthy. Now they lie 

 60 miles dua north of the Andam.ius, and are very 

 healthy at least I find them so. What are the 

 "Cocos" you mention as being lately annexed to 

 Ceylon, and is anything or anybody working them.* 

 Here we as yet are only working the coco palms, but 

 I believe we can grow almost anything, though only on 

 a small srale, as the soil is good and of various kinds. 

 From the hills to the sea we have a formation of coral 

 and sand. But as this has for many, many years 

 been under forest, the soil, as you can imagine, is 

 now considerably improved. I have traced the coral 

 over i of a mile inland, as it crops up now and then. 

 But here the palms have long been destroyed by the 

 forest trees, aud they are now confined to a fringe 

 roniiil the island. The same proce s of coral form- 

 ation is still going on, and it is interesting to trace the 



* Nothing has been done by any one from Ceylon, we 

 believe though the resident natives no doubt continue the 

 coconut cultivation. — Ed. 

 82 



gradual enlargement of the island. Inland a range of 

 low hills, running up to 300 feet on the west side, run 

 from north to south, and this taken in connection 

 with Table and Prepacia islands to the north, aud 

 the Audamans and Nicobars to the south, is said 

 by s^me to prove a junction at one time between 

 Javat and Burma I enclose the (lower of a creeper 

 I found growing here in swamps, and should be 

 obliged if you would tell me its name. I had hop'd 

 to see a lot of information about coco palms in the 

 Tropical Agriculturist, and hope to see more, as I am 

 desirous of obtaining all the information I can on that 

 subject. i' I have not as yet seen anything iu the waj of 

 a beetle attacking palms here, but if I do will try the 

 remedy, you advise. What measure is a candy, § aud 

 what machinery do you use for oil and fibre, cost, &o. || I 

 have had only .Siiiimond's Tropical Agriculture to go by, 

 and from tlis little I have seen of coco palms 1 think he 

 bad no practical experience of his own Perha-ps some of 

 your coco palm planters would give me a few hints. I 

 am anxious to learn all I can, as I think there is more 

 in coco planting than people give it credit for : at least; 

 iu a ready-made plantation like this. I take a hint, 

 from the Tropicfd Agriculturist and iu tend trying to 

 manufacture a sample of fibre from the screw palm, of 

 which we have numbirs here. One most valu.ible timber 

 is Thiugang (suu wood), but the trees soon go bad (rot), 

 large and small. Have you it in C'eylon ? It is good for 

 beams for hous-s, and salt water I am told does not 

 destroy it. There are several other varieties of hard and 

 soft wood including the cotton tree, and one like our 

 lilac iu flower, but it is easily destroyed by wind. A 

 species of palmyra palm also is found , but coolies -says 

 not the same as in Madras. I have planted guiue:i-grass, 

 but the fowls, &c., give it no chance. I am also trying 

 tobacco. But we are only cleaning palms as yet, aud 

 jungle is so thick I know little of the island, inland. 

 We have a number of birds resident, and my bst is 

 now daily being enlarged by visitors on their way south 

 I suppose. Land crabs and cate pillars destroy every- 

 thing, and gra-sshoppei-s and crickets are as bad. But 

 the first mentioned are by fur tlie worst. Pigs also 

 abound. Excuse this long letter, but from your bo"k 

 I fancy it luay be of interest to you, as I uotice you 

 take up natural history as well as agriculture. 



This extract may interest you. I came across it iu 

 Waterton's Wamierinr/s^ 4:th January, chap. I ; — " If 

 ever there should be a great demand for large eupfdies 

 of gum elastic commonly called India Rubber it may 

 be procured in abundance far away in the wilds of 

 Demerara and Essetjuibo." 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN THE FAR EAST. 



One of the most interesting branches of commercial 

 history to trace is that of the growth of the sugar 

 trade, from its first rude beginnings away back among 

 the mists of time, down to its present enormous de- 

 velopment all over the world — a development which 

 last year in the United Kingdom alone, with a popula- 

 tion of 35,300,000 souls, reached 989,208 tons of sugar, 

 — giving an individual consumption of (i2'77 lb. ; and 

 of molasses, 12 G72, tons; or '80 lb. per head. 



According to Dr. Mosely, the great authority on 

 the history of the sugar industry, the first notices 



t AVaUace believe that Java, which possesses several 

 oaks, was at one time united to the Himalaya.s, When 

 separated by volcanic couvidsion, .Tava retained some of 

 the Himalayan flora. — Ed. 



J Our handbook on the coco palm will soon be ready. — 

 Ed. 



§ It ranges from 500 to 500 lb.— Ed. 



II The natives use simple appliances, but m the European 

 establishments there is first-rate maclunery. inchuling 

 some of the most powerful hydraulic presses in the world. — 

 £d. 



