424 AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, ETC. 



tory. Guavas thrive and bear plentifully. I am now sending 

 you some shoots. I am sorry that I have no mangoes, and 

 the seeds you spoke to me about have never reached me. I 

 am cultivating ground-nuts largely ; their oil is our substitute 

 for butter. Onions are cultivated at all the stations, and thrive 

 especially well in Dufile and Makraka. The love of gardening 

 and cultivation has much increased among my people during 

 the past year, and I daily receive letters begging me for seeds 

 and plants. Our soldiers and officers are now quite aware that 

 a well-tended garden affords not only amusement but tangible 

 advantages. When, however, the plant or fruit arrives at 

 maturity, it is consumed — you know the Negro character — no 

 one dreams of reserving seed for the next planting, for is not 

 Emin Bey in Lado in order to provide seed ? I have hundreds 

 of times sent seeds to the people, and asked them to preserve 

 some ; they have over and over again promised to do so, but 

 when sowing-time comes, they invariably apply to me for a 

 fresh supply. They have, however, improved a little lately, 

 and with time and patience I think I shall bring them to 

 better ways. The planting of Mais guineensis is what I have 

 now most at heart; seeds are on the way from Monbuttu, and 

 I shall begin to plant them as soon as they arrive. Date 

 palms do well ; here they are still small — some forty feet — 

 but in Makraka they have borne fruit this year. I am ex- 

 pecting pineapples by this steamer, which I begged of M. 

 Marquet in Khartum. The coffee * you sent me would not 

 bud. What do you think of trying Cinchona ? 



The net revenue of the past year remaining at the disposal 

 of the Government, after all salaries, expenses, &c, have been 

 deducted, amounts to ^8000 sterling, of which the greater 

 part has been paid into the Government treasury at Khartum. 

 The trifling sums which I obtained from there, after many 

 requests, have been spent in paying arrears of salary (1879— 

 1880). But it seems as if the Government did not value 

 this province much; for instance, during the year 1882, only 

 one steamer was sent here — that which brought me from 

 Khartum.-)* This steamer, too, carried no goods, my petition 



* Caffca liberica from West Africa. — G. S. 



+ Dr. Emin arrived in Khartum on March 7, 1882, and left on June 15, 

 1882.— G. S. 



