April i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST* 
713 
GEM AND MINING PEOSPECTS : 
The Ceylon Gem and Mining Syndicate. 
For some time back we have been receiving the 
latest and most authentio intelligence of the pro- 
gress of this Syndicate in its work in Ceylon 
through the medium of our London Correspondent I 
We have no fault to find that it should be so— 
that in a very roundabout fashion, through th e 
medium of a gentleman writing six thousand miles 
away, we should learn what is being done in a 
district sixty miles from Colombo. We bad much 
rather that this should be the case, than that 
London Capitalists and others interested should 
suspeot the Ceylon press of doing anything to 
inflate the cause of the several Gem and Mining 
Companies by maintaining a run of editorials or 
Speoial Correspondence giving currency probably to 
a good deal of inaccuracy and exaggeration mingled 
witn tbe facts that might be picktd up. Not that 
we have altogether neglected to encourage news 
letters from the Gemming districts or to chronicle 
the movements of the several experts and agencies 
at work. But it was quietly recognised by our- 
selves and others that nothing would better please 
the " experts" who had come out from England 
to report on our Mineral prospects, than to be 
" severely left alone " by editors and " specials." 
Well, they certainly so far cannot say that they 
have been badly treated by those " troublesome 
fellows of the press " in this Colony. It requiies 
a very Bhort acquaintance with Mr. Barrington 
Browne to see that he has studied to some pur- 
pose the golden character of " silence " —indeed 
one gentleman who ought to know considers that 
so far, this expert of high repute has been most 
reticent — that in fact he acts up in a high degree 
to Talleyrand's motto that " speeoh was given us to 
conceal our thoughts." Nevertheless, it is satis- 
factory to know, now that the term of Mr. 
Barrington Browne's mission is drawing to a close, 
that he has at least not been disappointed with 
Ceylon — that his mission was not an absolute 
mistake — and that some fruit at least may be 
anticipated to spring from it. His work in Sahara- 
gamuwa will now, we learn, close in a few days 
and Mr. Barrington Browne hopes, we believe, 
to get away by the next Orient Company's boat 
—that would be by the S. S. " Orizaba " on Mon- 
day next. His Report to his principals in tbe 
London Syndicate is expected to prove a very full, 
indeed exhaustive and undoubtedly valuable docu- 
ment. Whatever be its purport — favourable or 
unfavourable to our widest anticipations, — the Be- 
port on a subjeot of so much interest to Ceylon 
must certainly prove equal to a State Paper of 
great value in the annuls of the Colony. We 
must trust that it will prove the steppingstone to 
a regular " Geological and Mineralogioal Survey 
of the Island." This is one of the first move- 
ments in advance whioh we must press on Governor 
Sir Arthur Havelock. It is very singular that suoh a 
Survey should have been so long delayed in view of 
the considerable and advancing importance of 
plumbago alone, apart from precious stones and 
the many other minerals of incidental interest and 
value. In Sir Wm. Gregory's time, suoh a survey 
was favourably considered by the Government and 
had Sir William only remained a few months longer 
at the helm than he did, a vote for a Geological 
Survey at least would have been inoluded in the 
Supply Bill. We trust to see an even more ex- 
tended Survey — to embrace Mineralogy and the 
use of a Diamond-boring Drill suoh as has proved 
90 
of great service in the Australian Colonies — 
provided for in our next Supply Bill and begun 
during 1891. No more desirable, useful or decidedly 
reproductive work can be connected with the 
administration of our new Governor; 
Meantime, as we have said, we are hopeful that 
Mr. Barrington Browne's Heport is not to be without 
results useful to the development of the Colony ; 
but we cannot at all say whether oertain sanguine 
anticipations current, will be realised. PoBsibly the 
outcome may disappoint a good many and prove 
satisfactory only to a few. But this much we may say 
on our own account and with a good deal of assur- 
ance, that the character of the results likely to 
arise for the benefit of tbe Colony depend to a 
very great extent on the Government. If the 
Ceylon Government as at present influenced, con- 
tinues blind to its own interests — as representing 
those of the who'e community — we may be 
very sure that only a minimum of Euglish 
capital will be sent for investment in mining and 
gemming industries into this Colony. It is ex- 
tremely doubtful in fact if Sir Arthur Gordon had 
published his draft Ordinance a few months 
earlier, whether we should have Been an expert 
out here at all. The promoters of the Syndicates 
and Limited Companies in Europe clearly went 
on the Mining Bules and Regulations as laid down 
by a previous Government, after special appeal 
and full consideration, in 1881 . Why there should 
be a change at this time, unless the wish be to 
" choke off " European investments in Sabara- 
gamuwa mines and gem pits, no one can make 
out. What makes tbe matter more aggravating is 
the general belief that the change of policy is not 
due to the " collective wisdom " of the Executive 
Council, to any motion on the part of the Legis- 
lature or any of its members, or to opinions ex- 
pressed by experienced public servants of the Colony ; 
but as is generally understood, to new-born zeal of 
comparative juniors who are credited with leading 
the head of the Government, in vulgar parlanoe " by 
the nose" in their desire to check, if not shut out 
European enterprise from looal Gemming and 
Mining Industries. 
+ 
Sericultuee.— About 1,500 oasuarina seedlings 
have already been planted on the acre of land at the 
Saidapet farm whioh has been seleoted for experi- 
ments in sericulture, and another 500 are being put 
down. The plants are thriving, and will probably 
by June next be fit for the silk worms to feed on. 
The election of the netting which is to cover the 
area is now being discussed, both as to the meshes 
which should be sufficiently small to protect the 
worms from wasps ; and as to the material, which 
should stand the effeots of the weather, Bengal 
twine, the material first selected, being found to decay 
very soon. The Hon. Mr. Garstin, who has taken 
much interest in the experiments, pays the farm 
bi-weekly visits. — Madras Mail, Maroh 10th. 
The Morgan Crucible Company (Limited) has 
just been registered in London by Davidson & Mor- 
ris, 40 and 42 Queen Victoria Street, E.C., with 
a oapital of 300.000Z in 20,000 preference shares 
of 10Z and 1,000 ordinary shares of lOOi eaoh. The 
objeot of the company is to acquire and take over as 
a going oonoern the businesses of crucible manufac- 
turers, potters, and manufacturers of plumbago, be- 
longing to and oarried on by the Morgan Cruoible 
Company, in accordance with an agreement, m.ada 
on February 26th, between W. V. Morgan, Walter 
Morgan, SeptimuB Morgan, Octavius Morgan, E. V. 
Morgan, S. A. Peto, and A. R. Harding of the ona 
part, and Ernest M. Morris, on behalf of the ooni- 
| pany, of the other part. — E. Mail, Maroh 7th. 
