148 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1887. 
spread to Mecca (where there arose after some years, 
in 1511, a crusade against its use as unlawful), to Cairo, 
to Damascus and Aleppo, and to Constantinople where 
the first coif ee-house was established in 1554. The first 
European mention of coffee seems to be by Rauwolff 
wuo knew it at Aleppo in 1573. It is singular that in 
the Observations of Pierre Belon, who was in Egypt, 
1546-1549, full of intelligence and curious matter as 
they are, there is no indication of a knowledge of coffee. 
1598. In a note on the use of tea in Japan, Dr. 
Paludanussays : " The Turkes holde almost the same 
maner of drinking of their Chaona (read Ohaoua), 
which they make of a cetaine fruit, which is like unto 
the Bakelatr,* and by the Egyptians called Ben or Ban: 
they take of this fruite one pound and a halfe, and 
roast them a little in the fire, and then sieth them in 
twentie poundes of water, till the half be consumed 
away ; this drinke they take everie morning fasting in 
their chambers, out of an earthen pot, being verie 
hote, as we doe here drinke aqua composita in the 
morning; and they say that it strengthened them 
and maketh them warme, breaketh wind, and openeth 
any stopping." In Linschoten, 46. 
1616. " Many of the people there (in India), who 
are strict in their Religion, drink no Wine at all ; but 
they use a Liquor more wholesome than pleasant, they 
call Coffee ; made by a black Seed boyld in water, which 
turnes it almost into the same colour, but doth very lit- 
tle alter the laatu of the water (J): notwithstanding it 
is very good to help Digestion, to quicken the Spirits, 
and to cleanse the Blood." — Terry, ed. of 1665, p. 365. 
c. 1628. " They drink (in Persia) . . . above all the 
rest, Coho or Oopha : by Turk and Arab called Oaphe 
and Oahua : a drink imitating that in the Stigian lake, 
blaok, thick, and bitter : destrain'd from Bunchy, 
Bunnu, or Bay berries ; wholesome they say, if hot, for 
it expels melancholy . . . • but not so much regarded 
for those good properties, as from a Romanee^that it was 
invented and brew'd by Gabriel .... to restore the 
decayed radical Moysture of kind hearted Mahomet. ." — 
Sir T. Herbert, Trams, ed. 1638, p. 241. 
c. 1637. " There came in my time to the Coll : 
(Balllol) one Nathaniel Oonopios out of Greece, from 
Cyriil the Patriarch of Constantinople . . . He was 
the first I ever saw drink coffee, which custom came 
not into England till 30 years after." — Evelyn's Diary. 
1673. " Every one pays him their congratulations, 
and af tar a Dish of Coho or Tea, mounting, accompany 
him to the Palace." — Fryer, 225. 
1726. " A certain gentleman, M, Pasehius, maintains 
in his Latin work published at Leipzig in 1700, that the 
parched corn (1 Sam. xxv. 18) which Abigail presented 
with other things to David, to appease his wrath, was 
nought else but Ooffi-beans." — Valeutijn, v. 192. 
per cent, on the company's paid-up capital of £26,000, 
as follows : — 
Proceeds of tea ... ... ... £11,639 19 2 
Proceeds of tea seed... ... ... 30 0 0 
TIPUOOK TEA COMPANY LIMITED. 
Capital, £26,000 ; area, 830 acres. The nineteenth 
ordinary annual meeting of this company was held 
yesterday, when the following report was presented : — 
Herewith is presented to the members the eighteenth 
annual report of the directors, together with balance- 
sheet of the company on Dec. 3lst, 1886, and profit and 
loss account for the year 1886. 
The company's out-turn of tea in 1886 amounted to 
158,410 lb. only, or 64,794 lb. below the previous year's 
out-turn. 
This large decrease was owing, in some measure to 
the system of plucking fine leaf, to the season itself com- 
mencing late, and more particularly, and above all 
other causes, to deficiency of raiu-fall. 
Vrom the middle of April to middle of September the 
manager's complaints on this last head were continuous. 
Although the quantity has thus proved below expect- 
ation, the quality has been very excellent, the average 
price of Is 5'80d per lb. obtained for the whole crop, 
being exceptionally high as compared with Is l'78d per 
lb. obtained for the 1885 crop. 
This high price on the reduced out-turn gives a net 
prolit of £3,120 7" 7d, which is equivalent to £12 0s 5 d 
* i. o. Bwjca Latm ; laurel berry. 
Less : 
General expenditure, £6,253 4 4 
Charges on tea ... 1,270 12 0 
Insurance ... ... 152 8 5 
Manager's and as- 
sistants' commis- 
sion 798 11 10 
Income tax 68 12 0 
£11,669 19 2 
8,543 11 
£3,126 7 7 
At an extraordinary general meeting of the mem- 
bers, held on the 24th February last, it was resolved 
to pay an interim dividend of 5 per cent, which 
was accordingly done, and the directors now recom- 
mend the payment of a final dividend of 5 per cent. . 
this making 10 per cent, for the year 1886, and the 
carrying over of the balance, viz., £526 7s. 7d., to the 
reserve fund of undivided profits. 
This fund will then amount to £2,699 lis. 8d., equi- 
valent to £10 7s. 7d. per cent, on the capital. 
Season 1887. 
For this season an out-turn of 2,500 maunds, or 
200,000 lb. is looked for ; continued attention being 
given to fine plucking, with the view of maintaining 
a high standard of quality. 
The quantity plucked to middle of June is only 180 
maunds, but it was not expected thit leaf in any 
quantity would be gathered before this month, owing 
to the system of pruning carried out at the close of 
last year. 
Extensions. 
Following out the plan of gradually extending the 
garden, as noted in the directors' last annual report, 
the area under tea now reaches to 830 acres. 
Of these, 740 acres are bearing and 90 non-b aring. 
A dividend as proposed was unanimously agreed 
to —IT. # C. Mail, July 15th. 
THE JAVA IMPORT TRADE. 
The report of the directors and the statement of 
accounts of the Handelsvereeniging " Amsterdam," or 
Amsterdam Trading Company for last year show that 
the state of the Java import Trade continued un- 
satisfactory last year. Mainly in consequence of the 
large quantity of goods offered in the market, with 
a diminished buying power on the part of the pop- 
ulation, the prices obtained were generally unremuner- 
ative, and the number of buyers who were unable to 
meet their engagements did not fall below the similar 
deficiencies of 1885. Taking these general experiences 
into account, however, the directors state that they 
have no reason to complain of the results of the 
year's operations, and though they have decided that 
prudence demands that they should not distribute any 
dividend, they intimate that the position at the end 
of the year was such as to cause a difference of 
opinion even on this point. After mature consider- 
ation, they have decided to retain the whole 
of the ascertained profits as a security against 
still possible losses. But they add that in so doing 
the company may consider that all losses of which 
there is any danger on the items included in the 
balance-sheets are fully provided for, and that unless 
some extraordinary and totally unforeseen circum- 
stances should intervene, a regular distribution of 
profits may be henceforth expected. The directors 
make the encouraging statement that althongh the 
Java import trade must undergo some improvement 
all round before it can be spoken of as favourable, 
yet so far as the company's operations go this branch 
has continued, and still continues, to progress. Since 
the company began to restrict imports on its own 
account, it has received continually increasing consign- 
ments for sale on account not only of Duteh but of 
foreign manufacturers ; and the directors hope for a 
further extension of this class of business. The com- 
