July 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
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whs 6 per cent, others paid 8J, 10, and 12 per cent, 
and this is on account of our cheap labour, water- 
power for machinery, and boxes which do not cost 
more than 46 cents for 80 lb. chests. My expenses 
in full in 1887 did not exceed 27 cents per half kilo ; I 
wonder what expenses are in Ceylon free on board. 
NOBTH BORNEO NEWS: PLANTING ITEMS. 
(From the British North Borneo Herald, May 1st.) 
We are glad to learn that Mr. T. 0. Bogaardt 
of Singapore is a partner in the 30,000 acres of 
land secured by Mr. van der Hoeven. Mr. 
Bogaardt's name is a guarantee of the soundness 
of any enterprise and will have much weight with 
planters when 'enquiring about tobacco planting in 
British North Borneo. 
We are glad to be able to say that offers have 
been made by a large Shipping Firm in Singapore 
to run a steamer from Singapore to Hongkong, 
calling at Sandakan and Kudat both going and 
returning. The terms offered are low and we hope 
they will be acceptable to the Government. The 
number of coolies brought down from Hongkong 
by the S. S. " Afghan," 287, is an earnest of the 
passenger freight obtainable and Count Geloes 
tells us that over 1,000 coolies will be required by 
the tobacco planters at the end of this year. This 
means fflO.OOO. 
We also hope to see some other estates opened 
this year for next year's planting. The facilities 
afforded by Bivers for transport and the probability 
of finding large areas of flat land adjoining neces- 
sarily mjakes them the leading point of search. 
We cannot do better than mention that Mr. van • 
der Hoeven informed us that he found better land 
a little further back from the Biver (Labuk) with 
better water. The drainage, if requisite, of lands 
on the tidal limit is not easy but above the 
tidal limit it becomes simple and inexpensive and 
there is little doubt that the upper waters of our 
big rivers will shortly be visited by planters. 
A correspondent from the West Coast writes 
informing us of the arrival of the S. S. " Afghan" 
at Kudat with over four hundred Chinese coolies, 
most of them on their own aocount. Count 
Geloes d'Elsloo has returned with 100 coolies 
and we are pleased to inform our readers that 
so far from sharing Mr. Abrahamson's views, he 
says any amount of coolies can be procured at a 
moderate rate, provided means of communication 
be secured. The Count received valuable assistance 
from the Hongkong Government and his visit to 
China has practically solved the difficult problem 
of labour. This is of vast importance to the country 
as it was the only possible stumbling block in 
the way of the success of the tobacco enterprise. 
With cheap labour, cheep land, and no taxes, 
British North Borneo should become a keen eom- 
potitor with Deli, with many advantages in her 
favour. We hear that the Banow yield last year 
was over ten piculs per held and that, if the 
price which it is expected to command in Amster- 
dam bu realized, tho Company will pay a good 
dividend the first year. This has not been excelled 
oven in Deli, and we may expect a "rush" in 
the latter part of the year. 
Seleotors of land from Holland and Java con- 
tinue to arrive and whilst we do not begrudge 
tlii-iii the profits which their concessions of land 
will surely bung we cannot but regret that British 
investors are not more enterprising. Perhaps when 
the (acts are clearly demonstrated by the balance 
heel of the Banow Company the lithargio British 
may bo pit-pared to share the confidence in the 
Country and in the Company, which has already 
been so abundantly shown by the capitalists of 
Amsterdam, Itottorduni and Antwerp. 
Mr. R. Doom has also taken up land on the 
Sugut for tobaoco planting. We learn that the 
lands conceded to Mr. Jan. C. Teves are to be 
worked by a Company under the style of the 
Borneo Tabah My. Sugut. Messrs. A. van Cittera, 
Tromp and H. Sampson left Sandakan for Kudat 
on the 19th April in the " Kimanis " to visit the 
Tobacco estates in Marudu Bay. Mr, van Citters 
proposed to go on to Singapore by the following 
" Paknam." 
The Commissioner of lands visited the Kinaba. 
tangan river in April and finished the road-trace 
to the Suanlamba the distance from Messrs. E. E, 
Abrahamson & Co.'s Timber depot to Bilit being 
12 miles through easy country. The River Tenne 
gang was twice visited and on the second occasion 
Mr. Walker took the " Thistle " about seven miles 
up that stream. From Bilit Mr. Walker expects 
to carry his trace to the Segama without muoh 
difficulty. 
Mr. H. Sampson, a brother of our former Su- 
perintendent of Public Works, arrived here on the 
1st April in the S. S. " Spaniel." Mr. Sampson 
is a tobacco planter frcm Langkat who is in search 
of land suitable tor tobacoo planting, has visited 
Assahan, Siak and Palembang and is now looking 
at the lands of British North Bon.oQ. Mr. Samp- 
son has seen the lower K - I'labangan and has 
gone to Kudat to visit the u'/.y r Bongon Lands. 
Mr. Sampson represents large Shanghai interests 
but apart from our desire that he should select 
lands in British North Borneo we shall be glad 
to welcome, as a resident, the brother of an old 
Government Officer, 
OYSTERS ON THE AUSTRALIAN COAST. 
The official report of Mr. A. Wilson, engineer 
in charge of ports and harbours, in reference to 
his recent efforts to ascertain whether oyster beds 
exist along the Ninety-mile Beach, in the vicinity 
of the Gippsland Lakes entrance, has been placed 
before the Commissioner of Trade and Customs. 
Mr. Wilson states that a dredge was put down 
two miles to the eastward of the entranoe and a 
course was continued at the slowest possible speed 
to the westward, keeping in about five fathoms of 
water. The ground tested extended over 20 miles, 
the dredge being lifted and examined at short in- 
tervals, with the result that there was no indication 
of oysters in any form. Mr. Wilson, however, does 
not think that this test can be taken as sufficient 
evidenoe that there are no oyster beds along the 
Ninety-mile Beach, inasmuch as the fishermen at 
the lakes state that after a southerly gale they have 
gathered basketsfull from the beach, about 10 miles 
to the westward of the Lakes Entrance, and although 
a portion of the ground was tried, the space 
covered was very limited. It is suggested, there- 
fore, that if the question is of sufficient importance, 
opportunity be taken, when the Government steamer 
"Lady Loch" is available, to make a more ex- 
haustive examination of the ground, extending 
over 20 miles on each side of the Lakes Entrance. 
—Auttralasian, May 5th. 
A NEW EXCAVATOE. 
[Is there any chance of applying this machine 
to Irrigation Work in India and Ceylon ? — Ed.] 
Messrs. Chant and Pateman, blacksmiths, of 
Young, are the inventor^ of a new excavator, and 
the first trial of their machine took place at 
Brunswick, on April 27th, in the presenco of a 
considerable number of city men and two or three 
representative squatters of Victoria and New South 
Wales. The machine is very simple. A wln*e| 
