March 2, 1885.] the TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



683 



can be Jittle doubt that there is a large field for native 

 industry in this direction, and foreign capital too, if the 

 Liberian Government would only encourage the immigra- 

 tion of foreigners and the development of the country. 

 Gold is believed to exist in large quantities in the interior, 

 and a considerable amount of it is from time to time 

 brought to the coast by the natives. Other minerals are 

 also known to exist in the country and are believed 

 to be considerably and extensively spread throughout 

 the country. Until the force of circumstances or the 

 annexation of Liberia by a European power— in my opinion 

 a not at all improbable event in the future— there is 

 not, as far as I can learn, auy chance of steps being taken 

 by Liberia's present rulers to develop her material or 

 mineral resources. Germans are now found at all the 

 ports, the visits of German men-of-war have been frequ- 

 ent of late, and I shall not be surprized to hear some 

 day that the oppression or ill-treatment of some Ger- 

 man subject has formed a reasonable pretext for German 

 interfereuce and ultimate annexation, which will be a 

 good thing for the world, however unpleasant it may and 

 undoubtedly will be for the Liberiaus. The total absence 

 of Englishmen in the country I attribute to the heavy 

 taxation, the absence of British consuls and the limited 

 amount of trade that exists under the present regime. Eng- 

 lishmen do not, as a rule, care about residing in unpleasant 

 or inhospitable climes unless the pecuniary inducements 

 to do so are in proportion, whereas the German is con- 

 tented with very moderate competency. 



Harper, Liberia, Nov. 11th. — The shores of this par" 

 of the world present a solitary and somewhat melancholy 

 appearance. Eternal bush is all that meets the eye, while 

 not a sail is to be seen anywhere as far as the eve can reach. 

 "What a contrast this to the eastern shores of Africa, the 

 Ked Sea, or the Persian Gulf, where although, perhaps the 

 inhabitants are but little further advanced in the run of 

 civilization, anil in some parts not so much, they are cert- 

 ainly more addicted to seafaring pursuits, and the pict- 

 uresque dhow with its varied cargoes — sometimes human 

 — gives variety and life to the scene. There are no towns 

 of any size between Grand Bass a and Harper, but merely 

 a few villages scattered at intervals along the coast, and 

 a run of 1SU miles from the former place brings oue to this 

 the second town as regards size in the Republic of Liberia. 

 Harper is situated oa Cape Palmas. This bold headland 

 which received its name from the Portuguese poet Gamoens 

 from a solitary clump of palms ou it, which still remains 

 and is therefore an object of interest to the traveller, 

 is a hundred feet high, half a mile broad by a quarter 

 of a mile long, and forms a harbour immediately opposite 

 the town, which if not " the finest in the world " is 

 certainly sufficiently commodious and affords ships cruising 

 in this part of the world a pleasant change after the 

 eternal rolling and surf of the west African shores. The 

 towu looks uncommonly well from the sea. The church 

 spires of the Episcopal, Wesleyan and Presbyterian de- 

 nominations peep out from amongst the trees,and the shingle- 

 framed houses of the Liberiaus surrounded by gardens add 

 picturesquesness to the scene. Harper possesses, bi sides 

 the three churches I have mentioned, an academy, a 

 hospital, au orphan asylum, and a lighthouse. The latter 

 is more of ornament than use, as the Republic cannot 

 afford funds to keep it constantly lighted, and mariners are 

 therefore advisedly warned to place r.o reliance on it. In 

 the face of it the Government insists on the mail st -amers 

 conveying the mail to and from the country without auy 

 subsidy "in lieu of harbour and lighthouse dues," though 

 not a penny is now spent on either harbours or lighthouses. 

 Adjacent to Gape Palmas' lighthouse is the flagstaff which 

 bears the Liberian national flag, the same as the American 

 ensign, with the exception that instead of many stars there is 

 only one. 



This country is certainly a more valuable one in every way 

 than our Gold Coa^t Colony: it possesses some three or four 

 fairly good harbours, whereas the latter cannot boast of one. 

 There is, moreover, an absence of that terrible surf which 

 makes landing or the transference of cargo frequently imposs- 

 ible and at all times difficult and unpleasant on the shores 

 of that colony, while the country itself appears to he more 

 productive, to have greater mineral wealth, and to "tap" 

 a more valuable part of the park Continent, 



NETHERLANDS INDIAN NEWS 

 {Translated for the "Straits Times.") 



THE RAILWAY AND SUGAR PLAXTtKS — <_'[> nin.\ \ 



The Locomotief of the 3rd January states that the 

 firm of Dorrepaal & Co. has been merged into a bank 

 bearing that name, the capital for that purpose having 

 been fully subscribed and the articles of association 

 published in the Government Gazette. The Nether- 

 lands India Railway Company, to meet the wants of 

 sugar planters, has consented to lower by half a guilder 

 a picul its charge for carrying that article to Samarang 

 from Djockdja, provided growers availing themselves of 

 the reduction agree to send all their sugar crops by its 

 lines of rail. 



The Batavia Dagblad of the 2nd January states that 

 the success attending cinchona cultivation in Java and 

 India has led to raising that product being also under- 

 taken by Portuguese in the Cape de Verde islands and 

 St. Thome. 



COFFER AND TEA PROSPECTS. 

 Coloury coffees are destined to become very scarce 

 and valuable, and it is to be hoped that planters will 

 not too rashly kill the goose (the tree) that has already 

 laid a good many golden eggs ; but will remember 

 that mi.ny who perhaps may be in a better position to 

 form an opinion ou the subject than themselves, veiily 

 believe that with fair seasons this goose is 011 the verge 

 of laying a good many more golden eggs. We speak, 

 of course, of coffee in fair condition, planters cannot 

 do better than preserve to the utmost any coffee that 

 show vigour and stability. If as some suppose the max- 

 imum yield of coffee has already be. n attained in the 

 world, they will do well to consider that no fresh coun- 

 try can quickly rise into competition against thtm, and 

 the conditions (sueh as virgiu forest) and risks of growing 

 coffee areso peculiar, that it beconvs one of the least, 

 of likely agricultural pursuits, to which capitalists and 

 others would n .w care to devote the ii m 'ln-y and atten- 

 tion. A strong objection urged to maintaining both tea 

 and coffee cultivation on an estate is tlv txptnse of 

 keeping up two sets of buildings. This object "U is al- 

 ready partially overcome by the local demand for tretn 

 leaf, which is beginuing to spring up iu the you 'u tea 

 districts, from proprietors of l eniral Factories aid 'his 

 is a feature of the g-eatest importance to planters as it 

 helps them to pos pone the ineviiable expense ol tea 

 manufacturing mact.iuery, uniil their plantations are 

 more forward, and their resources more defi. ed, and 

 enables them to still keep >nd cultivate ar^as 01 C"ffce 

 wibch, as we have alrady shown may become very valua- 

 ble again, and wl.ioh po.-eibly ,f, pkut-d up with tea 

 would not prove so remunerative as if kept in i.offee 

 and well-cultivaed. 



Jamaica Properties.— A very large and influential 

 East India Firm in Loudon, has asked us to procure a 

 a list of Jamaica pioperties which are now, or may be 

 at any future time, lor sale, with particulars and the 

 price asked. The reason given for this request is, that 

 retiring East Indians are often desirous of investing 

 their capital in real estate ; and the opinion gains favour 

 in London, that Jamaica is a promising Colony and 

 has a climate well suited to old residents in the East, 

 The Firm we speak of is at present providing large 

 properties in Australia, in New Zealand, Manitoba and 

 Texas; but they say information about Jamaica is 

 extremely difficult to procure, and what there is is very 

 unreliable. We have engaged to keep the firm informed 

 and to post them such particulars as may be sent us 

 for registration in this office. We commend the subject 

 to the thoughtful consideration of those having proper- 

 ties which they wish to tiud purchasers for,— GaU'a 

 Weekly Nma Letter, 



