152 
Í cannot of course say whether the little I have will turn out 
satisfactory or not, but I have taken the very greatest pains in its 
preparation, and I am sure it will be found quite free from dirt of 
all kinds, and I hope of acids. 
Perhaps a few remarks as to the mode pan ig by me may be 
found useful, as it may E be well kno in Lagos, although 
common on the Gold Coas 
When the milk is first em to me in gin eren I at once 
strain it into perfectly clean bottles thro ugh a ece of muslin 
fixed in a frame. The bottles are then allowed fa stand for 24 
ut on the fire to boil. If much water is seen with the milk, 
none is added ; but if only a eae about a pint of water is added 
to every six bottles, As the er and milk begin to boil, lime 
The muslin strainer is very en Vade. as it pes only be 
turned over and water poured through it from a hei eight 
At present, owing to the rains ceasing and the sap of the trees 
drying up, little or no milk can be obta tained, although I have 
increased my price to 4d. a bottle : what little I did get was not 
good, and I found it useless 
If one could only induce is natives to collect the milk, a large 
irade might be done; but they are intolerably lazy, and do not 
care to attempt a new trade e. At the least a man should be able to 
get eight or 12 bottles a day, for which he w cg receive 2s. or 3s., 
ut the arg quantity brought me was four or six bottles, and 
confessed that these young men and boys re quite beyond their 
control or that of their fathers. This is giokaha a bad state of 
things for the district, and one which I have endeavoured to 
check as far as it lies in my power : but I fear, unless the Chiefs 
exercise their authority, and do their best to assist the District 
ommissioner, it will be hard work. 
RoYAL GARDENS, KEW, to the COLONIAL OFFICE. 
Royal Gardens, Kew, April 21, 1890. 
SIR, 
l AM desired by Mr. Thiselton-Dyer to acknowledge the 
receipt o your letter of the 22nd Januar y last, forwarding a copy 
of a despatch from the Officer Aaatataterigg ih he Government of 
os, on the subject of forty pounds of rubber pared from 
trees by = Py a 
“Abba” te Higginson, and shipped to this country for 
