tJOFFEE. 



37 



These countries lying at the level of the sea, a large quantity of the 

 coffee of Jamaica being also grown on the plains of Liguanea, very 

 little above the seaport of Kingston, and Mocha coffee being also sup- 

 posed to be produced in a dry and hot country,* the effects of tempera- 

 ture or altitude were forgotten or not considered to be a necessary 

 condition. It may be observed also, that elevation and temperature, 

 though they may be on the average the same in two different countries, 

 are still not equal as conditions, inasmuch as soil, neighbourhood of 

 or distance from mountains, combine to form other and varying circum- 

 stances, in which few countries can be found absolutely to agree. 

 Whilst Demerara rejoices in a similar temperature, she possesses a 

 rich alluvial soil of many feet in depth, not liable to be removed by 

 the rains, whilst Jamaica has a rich volcanic soil on her lower hills. 



The following extract, translated from the records of the Dutch 

 Government by George Lee, Esq., shows the extent of coffee cultiva- 

 tion more than one hundred years since : 



" Coffee is a cultivation to which the natives had been with great 

 difficulty induced to attend, and unfortunately, when at last, in 1739, 

 we had brought matters so far as to obtain from this island 100,000 lbs., 

 the supply from Java and the West Indies became so large that our 

 prices here could not be maintained, and we were forced insensibly 

 to let this article of produce slide from us, or at least not to urge it 

 on the natives in any manner whatever, in fact we reduced our cost 

 prices from five to two stuivers, which was scarcely a rate to give 

 compensation for the trouble of growing coffee. The disturbances at 

 Java, however, have had a bad effect on their cultivation, and we have 

 been ordered again to encourage the growth here, and to receive all 

 that is offered us for purchase ; this state of things should be kept up, 

 at least we should never have in store less than what is sufficient for 

 one shipment. — Memoir left hy Governor Schreuder for the guidance of 

 his successor, L. J. Van Eck, in 1762." 



The hill region of Ceylon covers an area of about 4000 square 

 miles, is of a somewhat circular form, and its most elevated parts rise 

 to 8280 feet above the level of the sea. Systematic cultivation is 

 almost exclusively carried on on these hills, although irregular native 

 garden plantations are found everywhere in the south-western portion 

 of the island, even close to the sea-beacli. The favourite elevation is 

 between 2000 and 3500 feet, but in a few exceptional cases estates 

 descend almost to the foot of the hills, whilst others are situated at 

 5500 feet, and even higher. The number of systematically worked 

 coffee estates scattered all over these hills now amounts to 1087, 

 covering an area of perhaps 440,000 acres, of which about 220,000 

 acres are cultivated, producing nearly 1,000,000 cwts. of clean coffee, 

 worth on the spot, say 3,000,000Z. sterling, and giving employment to 

 912 superintendents and assistants, and upwards of 200,000 persons, 

 chiefly Tamil labourers from the coast of India. This is exclusive of 

 about 50,000 acres of coffee grown by natives. In the last five years 

 there has been no abatement in the rapidly progressive rate with 



* Mocha coffee, as may be seen by the bean, is grown both on lowlands and like- 

 wise on mountain heights, which makes the distinction of greenish small beiu-y and 

 the Patna kind. 



