8s o 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May i, 1885. 



day as we could hardly have some down safely iu the 

 rain. As it was we had some narrow escapes, and, had the 

 rock-ripples heen hidden hy falling rain, we should prob- 

 ably have come to grief. I stopped a few times to chip 

 off a bit of rock and pick up bits from the single. 



15th November. The 16th day. We left al G-45 p. m. 

 Last night we had a little rain, but nothing that would 

 account for the rising of the river which rose rapidly from 

 the time of pitching our camps until this morning. In 

 the night time I heard the men shouting, and on inquiry 

 found they were moving higher up the bank, and this 

 morning I was awoke by the noise of a falling tree and 

 cries. A dead tree had fallen across one of the huts 

 striking Nacoda Bndjang, the head of the Sarawak traders, 

 on the tho back of the neck. He was sitting up smoking 

 a cigarette, waiting for daylight, when the tree fell. The 

 day was just breaking, and after a little rl was able to ex- 

 amine him and was glad to findno bones broken, but he was 

 almost insensible. I could do nothing beyond giving him my 

 pillow and seeing him laid in the boat as carefully as possible. 

 Immediately after starting we entered a gorge. Hills on 

 both sides for about seven miles— not high, perhaps 200 

 feet above the river, but tolerably steep, and sandstone rock 

 appeared on the bank. If the future road has to follow 

 the river this portion will be expensive. At the limestone 

 caves I stopped and examined the face of the rock care- 

 fully for fossils. To my delight I recognized a coral similar 

 in appearance to one now existing iu these waters, but in 

 attempting to break it off I was unsuccessful. I however 

 obtained some pieces with well marked fossils and had to 

 be content. The face of the cliff looked particularly white 

 and bold today, so different from the Gomautou hill, which 

 might be taken for sandstone from its colour. 

 This rock resembles white marble, at a little distance. 

 At the Dusuns' campong we stopped to pay Palar and 

 Uli for coming with us. Paid them in fish and salt. The 

 old men left by Gomba in charge of his big boat 

 (and its contents) had done very well and had a 

 lot of beeswax iu nicely made-up cakes. So had the man 

 in charge of my heavy boat further down, at Shabauda 

 Pungut's. He had filled the lower part of the boat with 

 rattan cane. "What he gave for them I did not learn, but I 

 dare say the result will be profitable to old Gomba. 



For three dry fish (perhaps 3 lb.) we got 50 lb. of sweet 

 potatoes ! Barter is at times very profitable. I learn that 

 at Palawan one of our traders gives a box of sardines 

 (price 12 cents) for two bundles of rattans. These latter 

 sell in Elopura 50 cents to SI per bundle according to 

 demand and quality. .Sardines are eaten, like caviare, as 

 a relish, and one box would last some time, but, even allow- 

 ing for that, the price paid is enormous. Truly these 

 people remind one of the old Romans and their predilection 

 for English oysters regardless of cost ! They resemble them 

 in other respects too — the toga, the Bhort cropped hair, a 

 fillet of cloth around the head, perhaps with a flower 

 stuck in it, the short sword at the waist and above all 

 in their grandly independent character, 



16th November. — 17th day. We stayed last night at 

 Shabmida Pungut's campong. I had to give up my small 

 boat to ils owner and pay him for the loan iu salt, fish, 

 &c., aud remove into the large boat. "We left this morning 

 at 0-30 and floated rapidly down to Pangeran Kahar's 

 campong. The launch had left on the 0th. "We only 

 remained as long as courtesy demanded and resumed our 

 journey. Still fine, and I am half-inclined tn regret I 

 did not stay a fourth day at Suugei Bilang; besides our 

 progress has been so rapid that we shall arrive at the mouth 

 before the lauuch can meet us. 



I stopped at Batu Tatak, where gold is said to have been 

 found, and examined the rock. Sandstone at first sight, 

 but appearing above it is a vein of granitic gneiss with 

 chlorite attached. I got a sample, but found the rock 

 very hard to break. 



17th November.— 18th day. Last night we stayed at the 

 Gold rock. I got specimens — micaceous schist — one a gold 

 red the other grey. A very appropriate name from the 

 appearance of the rock, but I am told that gold is never 

 found near this class of rock. "We are 81 miles from the 

 mouth ;the river is tidal so far aud the depth is over three 

 fathoms 



COCA LEAVES FROM CEYLON (VALUED 

 AT 13s PER LB.) 



Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradcniya, 9th April 18S5. 



Sir, — As it has been stated that the few samples 

 of coca hitherto sent from the East were of inferior 

 quality, 1 have lately sent home a Bmall quantity 

 picked in the Gardens here with the view of ascert- 

 aining the real value of the Ceylon leaf. 



A pound of fresh mature leaves was gathered ; 

 they were dried carefully in a current of dry air 

 under a verandah, the process being finished off in 

 the sun. This was in the steadily dry weather of 

 last 1'ebruary. The leaves lost half their weight iu 

 drying. When finished (in 10 or 11 days), the sample 

 was packed in a tin box and sent by post to Mr. 

 T. Christy of Fenchurch Street for report. He has 

 kindly sent the following information which will be 

 read with interest: — "You will be pleased to 

 hear that Mr. Dillworth Howard has tested the 

 coca leaves and finds they contain -22 per cent of 

 pure cocai'n which is considered a very fair per- 

 centage. At present the eoca'in of Merck is selling 

 here at 22s 6d the gramme ; therefore, as a gramme 

 of hydrochlorate of cocaine is produced from a lb. 

 of leaves, this would make the leaves worth in the 

 market at the present time 13s, and leave a large 

 margin for the maker." 



This report seems to show satisfactorily that the 

 leaves grown here yield a fair amount of alkaloid, 

 and that, prepared in dry weather without any 

 special precautions, they will travel home in good 

 condition. I therefore lose no time in making Mr. 

 Christy's information public. — I am, yours faithfully, 



HENRY TRIMEN. 



TEA CULTURE : DISCUSSION INVITED. 

 New Brunswick, Maskeliya, 9th April 1SS5. 

 Deau Sir,— -There seems to be such a diversity of 

 opinion with regard to the treatment of young tea 

 in Ceylon, that I think it would be of great interest to 

 planters if the subject were discussed in the local 

 papers, as there appear to be advocates of two methods 

 one is to keep the stem of the tree, or bush, clean 

 six inches from the ground, by pulling off all suckers 

 aud side-shoots below that height ; the other is to 

 encourage suckers and everything to grow. The Indian 

 tea planter is undoubtedly in favour of the former, 

 hough I believe the latter is the general mode of 

 treatment in Ceylon. 



I should like to know the reasons assigned by those 

 who have experience in Ceylon, why they should 

 differ in this matter ? Does the latter method in- 

 sure more leaf without injury to the future welfare 

 of the plant, as regards yield and lasting qualities ? 



I consider this a most imporaut question to bo 

 discussed at this time, as there is such a large acre- 

 age of young tea now coming on in the island. Those 

 who can give us information on this point, will bo 

 conferring a great benefit ou their fellow planters, and 

 I trust they will kindly come forward and d-o so.— Yours 

 faithfully, A. E. WRIGHT. 



HYBRIDIZATION. 

 Theberton, Maskeliya, 9th April 1SS5. 



Dear Sir, — I notice a remark on plant improve- 

 ment by hybridization from the Quecmlmuler in the 

 T. A. for April. 



It occurred to me after reading this article, that 

 some experiments might be tried to hybridize the 

 Arabian coffee with Liberian, that is taking the best 

 samples of each V It is well-known that hybrid 

 Assam tea plants are better than either pure Assam, 

 or pure China, for plucking &c, I should fancy that 



