Gums, Resins, 304 [Oct. 1906. 



Mahaweliganga. He thought this was the finest piece of irrigable land in Ceylon. 

 The tank was made and water was plentiful, and it only needed the malaria to be 

 taken in hand. 



THE NEW ANTI-MOSQUITO OIL PREPARATION. 



His Excellency having asked whether there were any specimens of the 

 oil mentioned by Dr. Willis, 



Mr. Bamber said he had sent for some. 



His Excellency :— It would be interesting because a large number of gentle- 

 men, who are interested in that question, are present ; and it would be well if they 

 saw the oil and found out for themselves how agreeable the perfume of it is. When 

 you mention coconut and kerosene, it does not sound very nice. I think this is the 

 line upon which you will find the most effective defence against malaria. 



Mr. Kelway Bamber ;— I think it has to be combined with everything else 

 that can be done. 



His Excellency :— Quite so, there is another question in connection with 

 this matter which it may be interesting to mention. Malaria is not the only thing 

 from which coolies suffer. You know perfectly well that there has been a great deal 

 of dysentery among coolies here and elsewhere and in other countries, and I may tell 

 you that Mr. Martin — I was in hopes he would be here— informed me a short time 

 ago that he had given his coolies tea. He gave them this tea morning and evening, 

 and with most excellent effect. The reason is this. Coming lately as I have come 

 from China, I may tell you there is hardly any dysentery there or any complaints of 

 that kind, and it is because the people never drink cold water. They drink nothing 

 but tea— or at least they call it tea. As you go along the roads in China, you see 

 men sitting with a number of small tea cups before them and a kettle of boiling 

 Avater. The tea leaves, as far as one can see, are not even withered. The man takes 

 a few of these leaves, puts them into the kettle, fills it with boiling water, and that is 

 what he drinks. They never drink water, and the consequence is that they never 

 suffer from the complaints we hear so much about in Ceylon. If gentlemen, who are 

 here so largely engaged in the production of tea, can induce their coolies to drink 

 tea, it may have a very considerable effect. It might be worth trying. If you get 

 four million people to drink the tea you are now sending down to the harbour, it 

 would give you a market at your doors. (Laughter.) I mention it because it is 

 a simple thing, and might be worth trying, 



Mr. Jowitt :— It is a question of caste. A great number of coolies will not 

 drink tea. The lowest castes will drink it, but not the high castes, 



His Excellency :— That may be so. I would save the low caste coolies 

 if I could. 



After a vote of thanks to Dr. Willis the proceedings terminated. 



THE LONDON RUBBER MARKET. 

 London, August 17.— At to-day's auction, 293 packages of Ceylon and Straits 

 Settlements Plantation grown rubber were under offer, of which about 189 were sold. 

 The total weight amounted to 14 tons, Ceylon contributing about 3 sfnd Straits 

 Settlements nearly 11. For the finer qualities generally the market was steady with 

 a rather better tone. A particularly flue lot of large pressed Block Rubber from the 

 Straits Settlements realised the highest price of the auction, viz., 5s. 10£d. per lb., or 

 l£d. over the highest price paid for Sheet or Crepe. The lower grades again lacked 

 attention, and the highest price paid for fine scrap was 4s. 6|d., most of this quality 

 realising about 4s. 6d. per lb. Plantation fine to-day 5s. 9d. to 5s. lOgd., same period 

 last year, 6s. to 6s. 3d. Plantation scrap 3s, to 4s. 6d., same period last year, 3s. 3d. to 



