190 COTTON. 



turing oil. At ])resem but little cotton-seed cake is fed to 

 stock in this country, but once it is prcjduced here there should 

 be no difficult} in disposing of it to dairymen and feeders of 

 beef cattle, as it is recognised as one of the best-concentrated 

 feeds obtainable. 



Market for South African Cotton. — There is a spinniniL;- 

 mill at Woodstock. C.l'., which is now operating 1,500 spindles; 

 this mill is kei)t going 24 hours daily, and they require approxi- 

 mately the whole output of the Union, i.e., 150.000 lbs. of lint 

 annually. 



As this industry grows, their re(|uirenients of raw material 

 will likewise increase. b\u-ther. the English and European 

 manufacturers, who are operating more than 100.000,000 

 spindles, have diffictilty, at times, in obtaining all the raw 

 material thev require for their mills ; so far as we are concerned, 

 this demand is inexhaustible. 



Prospeets. — During the last two or three \ears the cotton 

 industry has steadily impnned. and I think I am justified in 

 saying that there is probably no industry in South Africa, at 

 present, with l^rightcr ])rospects. and certainly none with greater 

 possibilities. Once normal conditions are restored. I expect to 

 see this industry make steady progress until cotton becomes one 

 of the big agricidtural products of the country. 



In conclusion, 1 wish to state that seven vears ago, when I 

 took over the cotton work for the (lovernment, the industr\- had 

 been for a number of years practically discarded as hopeless, on 

 account of the apparently insurmountable difficulties that had 

 to be faced, (ireat credit is due to men like Mr. Rurtt-Davy, of 

 the Transvaal, the late ( leneral Sir b^dward P>iabant. of the 

 Cape Colcju}', and .\lr. Kirkman. of Natal, for keei)ing a bit of 

 interest alive as to the jjcjssibilities of this crt)|) during this de- 

 pressed ])eriod. 



Prehensile Toes in Humans.- !n an interesting 

 article on a journey to the summit of the little-known mountain 

 koraima, in i>ritish (luiana, Mrs. Cecil Clementi makes the fol- 

 lowing observation on the Makusi and Arekinia Indians of the 

 higher tablelands of that Colony: — " llow the Indians managed 

 to negotiate that climl) with loads on their backs, without break- 

 ing their legs, was beyond oui" com])rehension. riiey were a 

 go<)<l deal cut and scr.atcbed, it is true, ])ut their ])rehensile toes 

 saved them trom all more serious damage. Indians catch hold 

 of things by their toe^, in truly monkey fashion; and if a man 

 drops a thing on the march he i)icks it uj) by his toes and ])uts 

 it iiHo his hands to avoid stooping; our feet seemed stupid, 

 clums\ things 1)\ comparison."* 



• Geographical JournnI (1J)1«-) 48 'GV, 456-473. 



