122 



Circular. 



Downing Street, 2nd June, 1894, 



Sir, 



With reference to my Circular despatch of the 12th of August,- 

 1893, I have the honour to transmit to you copies of a despatch from 

 the Governor of the Bahamas, and of a letter * from the Director of 

 the Royal Gardens, Kew, respecting a Machine for extracting Fibre 

 from Sisal Hemp, manufactured by Mr. Todd, of New York, which is 

 now in successful operation in the Bahamas. 



I have, &c, 



(Signed) Ripon^ 



The Officer 



Administering the Government of Jamaica. 

 Bahamas, No. 6^. 



Government House, Nassau, N. P., 



24th April, 1894. 



My Lord, 



With reference to communications, verbal and otherwise, that I have 

 received from the Colonial Office during the past three years on the 

 subject of Machines for the extraction of Fibre, on which information 

 was desired for the Fiji Government, I have now the honour to ac- 

 quaint your Lordship that I am at length in a position to speak de- 

 finitely of a Machine that is now in successful operation in this 

 Colony. 



2. The Machine in question is one manufactured by a Mr. Todd,f 

 of New York, and during my late visit to the Munroe Plantation at 

 Abaco, I witnessed its performance and have no doubt it will be uni- 

 versally adopted here. It dresses the Fibre perfectly and with a 

 minimum amount of waste, and though half a ton is all that a single 

 M achine will yield as a day's work, the principle is so sound that all 

 that is necessary is to increase the number to meet any required needs, 



3. I may observe, however, it does not necessarily follow that the 

 " Todd" Machine will be suitable where the conditions of the plant 

 are not similar to ours — I am not informed of the nature of the plant 

 at Fiji — but it may be instructive to know that the leaves of the 

 Bahama Plant which hold the Fibre are from four to six feet long, 

 that they are free from gum, and the threads separate without combing. 

 Little washing is needed, and the whole process of extracting, washing, 

 and drying is the work of one day. 



I have, &c, 



(Signed) A, Shea, 



Governor. 



The Most Honourable, 



The Marquis of Ripon, K.G., &c, &c. 



Royal Gardens, Kew, May 22nd, 1894. 



Sir, 



I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of May 



* Gov. No. 64 24th April, 1894, Kew, 22nd May, 1894. 

 f Address — J. C. Todd, Patterson, New Jersey, U.S.A. 



