September i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
teaa has, so far, keut pace with the imports, and 
if this continues — which it is expected by many will 
be the case — prices may be maintained. 
The directors who retire by rotation are Mr. 
Alfre d Wilson, and Mr. Alex. Lawrie, both of whom, 
being eligible, offer themselves for re-election. — 
H. $ C. Mail. 
THE TEA TRADE OF CHINA IN 1886. 
From the report of Consul General Hughes to 
the Marquis of Salisbury on the trade of Shanghai 
for 1886 we quote the following : — 
In the total export of blaok tea for 1886, the 
returns show a considerable increase, amounting 
to 3,321,933 lb. more than the export of 1885. 
This is accounted for by the inorease of the ex- 
port to America and Eussia. In the export to Eng- 
land there was a decrease of 938,400 lb. Tea had 
nevor beon bought in China so cheaply as in 1886, 
and the low rates of exchange were in favour of 
buyers : but it was sold in London at lower prices 
still, and the result was disastrous to shippers. 
The ill reception which China tea now meets with 
is asoribed to various oauses. For example, the 
leaf is said to be hastily prepared, and to be con- 
sequently wanting in keeping power ; tho compet- 
ition of Indian tea is also an important factor in 
the question, but, perhaps, the manner in which 
the London market is flooded with China tea is 
the ohief cause of its depreciation in value. Defect- 
ive preparation of the leaf is a matter which the 
Chinese can be induced to avoid if they find it 
their interest to do so ; and to make them feel 
that it is their interest is the business of the foreign 
buyer. Competition of Indian tea may, of course, 
be taken into calculation by the ordinary buyer. 
The overstocking of the London markut would 
seem, at first sight, easily prevented ; but, owing to 
the conditions under which the trade is conducted, 
this is really a question of considerable difficulty, 
which has not yet received a satisfactory solu- 
tion. The result is that in no business are losses 
of such frequent occurrence, if we may judge from 
the complaints which are heard every year. Pro- 
fits are apparently tare ; and, indeed, under exist- 
ing circumstances it 'is hard to see how thoy can 
be expected. Many millions of pounds of tea arc 
hastily shippod and despatched by steamers to 
London. This apparent hurry is for various rea- 
sons unavoidable. On its arrival — and the vessels' 
arrival at intervals of a few days — the tea is of cen 
got rid of at auction sales without reserve, even 
faster than it was -shipped in China. Comment 
on a system so well lrmwn and often discussed 
may seem unecessary ; but the subject is of so 
much importance that one may be excused for briefly 
alluding to it, in the hope that qualified persons 
may be able to suggest a remedy for a state of 
things which serins to those concerned in ship- 
ping tea from this country a perennial source of 
unavailing grief. It may be objected that these 
remarks are more applicable to the ports from 
which the bulk of the first crop of tea is shipped 
than to Shanghai. This is no doubt the case, but 
the subject is 0' e in which the merchants of 
Shanghai are deeply interested. The hopeful sign 
in the black tea trado is its great power of ex- 
pansion, and the prospect that in a few years the 
use of tea will become much more general than 
it is at present on the continent of Kurope, as 
well as in America. There was, as usual, a con- 
siderable decline in the export of green tea to Eng- 
land, a decline which was not compensated by the 
proportionately small increase in the export to 
America ; so that, on tho total export of green tea, 
there wns a fulling off amounting to more thun 
J, 000,000 lb. ou tho export of the previous year. 
America is still the great consumer of green tea 
The losses in 1885 induced caution among foreign 
buyers, and several of the shipments were made 
on Chinese account. The results are said to have 
been satisfactory. — L. <£• C. Express. 
<. 
MR. E. H. EDWARDS ON SEYCHELLES. 
[We quote the following artiole for two reasons : 
Mahe is an important place of call for steamers, 
and the Mr, Edwards mentioned was formerly well 
known in Ceylon. — Ed.] 
We print in another column a copy of a letter 
that has been handed to us for the purpose by Mr, 
E. H. Edwards of Seychelles. As will be seen, it 
was addressed to Mr. E. Didier St. Amand, and it 
is highly instructive from beginning to end. The 
first item alluded to is the old ory for roads and 
bridges. It really seems as if Maho was destined 
to remain without roads for ever. Mr. Franklyn 
gave the first push to road-making, and perhaps 
accomplished more in that diroction, out of the 
same amount of revenue, than any man who has 
followed him. There does not appear to have been 
any great activity, in 1886, in pushing on new 
linos of communication. The sum put down in the 
estimates for that year is simply absurd ; — Rl,500 
for extensions and maintenance of roads and bridges, 
is a simple financial farce, and no more. It is 
presumed that some equally munificent amount 
would be provided under the head of construction 
and maintenance of public buildings. It is evident, 
however, that there could not be either any 
extension of roads nor erection of new buildings ; 
and the office of Superintendent of Public Works 
must in the circumstances have become a mere 
sinecure. A salary of R3,000 a year for superin- 
tending the expenditure of about an equal sum 
is manifestly absurd. The holder of the office is 
not to blame for this state of things. It is those 
upon whom the duty devolves of distributing the 
revenue amongst the objeots for which it is raised. 
The local rate is levied for the express object of 
road-making. In fact, it used to be called the 
road- tax. What becomes of that money — about 
R15.000 a year ? Surely there is a screw loose 
somewhere. What are the sapient Board of Civil 
Commissioners about, that they pass such estim- 
ates? But we had forgotten. The independent 
element was eliminated from the Board some years 
ago. As Mr. Edwards pertinently observes, the 
Board requires to be re-constructed. 
Mr. Edwards has put his finger upon a 
sore place when he speaks of " The Moitie 
System " as being " one of the principal sour- 
ces of vagabondism." But, whilst some persons 
may admit the existence of the evil complained of — 
that is, vagabondism — few people in Seychelles 
would care to assist in the suppression of the 
" moitie-system." The parents of the system are 
idleness and poverty, and vagabondism is the true 
representative of both. A man has a piece of land 
which he either cannot, or will not, sell. He, and 
his sons, are too proud to work it ; for who ever 
heard of a Seychelles landed proprietor tilling his 
own ground — that is, with his own hands ? He has 
no money with which to pay for labourers. So he 
has recourse to the moitiO system. He induces 
people to squat on his ground, to each of whom he 
assigns a portion of it to be planted with some- 
thing— manioc, pumpkins, maize, Bwcet-potatoes. 
If the squatter really means work and intends to 
stay he may raise a few bananas and plantains; but 
he will never rise to the dignity of coconuts. When 
harvest-time comes they — he and his landlord — divide 
the fruits of the earth between them. So far, the 
system. Into no radical defect. The arruu^uueut 
