COFFEE COUNTRIES. 245 



to middle of February ; then a few nice showers 

 only ; also a few showers in March, a heavy dew 

 at night, just the thing for the young planties. 

 The blossom season same as in Ceylon : January, 

 February and March, blossom in all the jungle, 

 and also Coffee and all fruit-bearing trees, durian, 

 mangosteen, caju-nuts, &c., &c. ; and as for * King 

 Theebaw,' he is farther away than the old home." 



SAMOA. 



Regarding this fertile little territory the Indian 

 Mercury says : 



" An interesting official report has been published concerning 

 the resources of Samoa (Navigators' Island), and we note that 

 experts both for sugar and Coffee planting have favourably 

 reported upon the capabilities of the islands for these 

 industries. The Coffee plant has been in existence there for 

 some years, and, growing luxuriantly, has proved the suitability 

 of the climate and soil, but it has never been scientifically 

 treated, and in consequence is not as yet an article of 

 commerce. Some Coffee planters and speculators visited 

 Samoa during the past year with the view of settling, should 

 they find the country suitable for their several purposes ; but 

 the moral impossibility, under the present circumstances, of 

 obtaining an indisputable title to any parcel of land they might 

 buy deterred them from risking their capital. The native 

 tenure of land is intricate and complicated, and the inclination 

 of the natives to effect wrongful sales, with a view of reclaiming 

 the land subsequently, makes speculators very chary of investing 

 money in property that may at any time be disputed, perhaps 

 at one time on account of neglect of some native custom not 

 noticed at time of sale, and not provided against ; and perhaps 

 at another time by some relative presenting himself, who was 

 absent at the time of sale, either intentionally or accidentally, 

 and questioning the validity of sale on account of his not 



