July 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
37 
opium, tobaooo, spirits and salt, with power to create 
a farm for each of these or other commodities. Also 
an export duty on the jungle, and other produce, of the 
country. Court fees, laud rents, Postal and Inland 
.Revenue including Excise. Although the Koyal Charter 
was granted in November 1881 it was not till June 
1882 that the British North Borneo Company came into 
existence. Previous to that date the country was gov- 
erned by a Provisional Association. 
During the period under review the Company have 
not been idle. The resourses of their territory 
though not yet fully known are being gradually 
tested. Explorers have travelled from West to East 
and from South to North. Payable alluvial gold 
fields have been found in the Hegama river, while 
in many of the rivers falling into Darvel Bay, we 
have proof that they either pass through, or have 
their source in a gold bearing country. In the 
Southern Provinces rich coal fields are known to 
exist. In Province Dent, the coal is of superior 
quality and is considered as belonging to the Lahuan 
and Muara measures. Tho Mineral wealth of 
North Borneo though known to be great, cannot 
be fully discovered and developed in a few years. 
When the country is interseoted by roads aud be- 
comes more denuded of its douse forest, these richer 
may be expected to appear. Meautime the Company 
are wisely developing the agricultural resources of the 
country, these are more stable than minerals aud are 
daily proving more valuable. 
The soil aud climate of North Borneo have been 
proved to be eminently adapted for tobacco, cjffee, 
pepper, sugar and other tropical products, a late suc- 
cessful Manager of the Dali Maatschrppi Company — 
one of the largest Tobacco Planting Companies in 
Sumatra thus describes it : — -"the soil, vegetation and 
insect life, is the same as Lankat, bu your climate 
is better." North Borneo tobacco is now a success- 
ful competitor with that of Sumatra, and it is grown 
by Planters from that country, who have every reason 
to be satisfied with their undertakings, the last 
consignment of North Borneo leaf sent to Europe 
having realised 185 G. cents or about 98 dollar 
oeuts per po'ine". At the preseut time there are five 
Compauies planting tobacco in North Borneo ; three in 
Maruda Bay aud two in Dirvel Bay, and as the greater 
portion of the land disposed of is for Tobacco, it is 
anticipated that in 1889 about twenty Companies will 
be in full operation. 
in 1888, North Borneo Sugar Canes will be ex- 
ported to Java as stock. A Company is being formed 
with the sole object of growing "tops " for export. 
The representative of the Java Sugar Planters has 
sjcured land wiih which ho is satisfied " beyond his 
expaotationai" lie promises that N rth Borneo will 
be a great sugar-gro viug as well as a tobacco-grow- 
ing c luutry. 1'h ' eoffde estate at Kudat belougiug to 
Mr. Christian may be p >inted to as a proof of 
the .soil's c»|>abili f ies in this respect. 
The Government experimental garden at Silam has 
served a good purpose in proving tropical products 
in North Borneo soil. The forests of North Borneo 
produce a large variety of the finest known woods, 
iiioludiug the famous billiau. The supply is inexhausti- 
ble. Two enterprising Companies have taken advantage 
of this and are preparing large Exports for Ohina 
and elsewhere. A large Saw Mill fitted with the 
latest improvements has been erected in the vicinity. 
Tho same Company aie planting Coffee, Pepper and 
Pine-applei; from the !a t r thoy intend to extract 
the fibre and are ere tiu< machinery for the purpose. 
Nor'h Borneo now enjoys all the advantages 
of a settled Oovernme't: its laws C vd and 
Criminal are t il - u from th >se in force in Indi.t. 
I. > -I Ordinance-, arc ma 1 from time to time as 
re<|n re . A. Money Onle^ system facilitates trans- 
actions with almost every civilize! country. Tho 
m a aried at th i different statu. n. negotiate hills 
and perform am ^auking business. At each atati n 
permanent bail ings, mich as otlices, barrack*, ga Is, 
huxpita's, dwell) gr. wharves, and oustom*-».torc8, are 
i ii.it, ; tint pluQo oi iho temporary hnil hngs a', firs; 
ruclcd, roads aud bridges are bomg made where required. 
The whole country is in a prosperous state of 
advancement, and the population is steadily increasing 
not only at every station but throughout the coun- 
try. Tribal feuds are becoming occurrences of the 
past and the inhabitants now enjoy the benefit of 
freedom. North Borneo presents many tempting 
advantages to the planter and settler such as are 
rarely met with ; a soil that will grow almost any 
tropicul product. Chiuese labor only 1,000 miles dis- 
tant ; with regular communication, a moderate rain- 
fall, with distinct seasons and fine climate. The 
natives of the interior welcome and assist the planter, 
aud the country is without a pauper. 
The British North Borneo Compony have a fine 
property. It has taken much energy and care to 
bring it to its present state. We congratulate its 
Court of Directors on having reached this stage of 
progress, with their Revenue equal to their Expen- 
diture and wish them continued success. We have a 
guarantee in our new Governor, Charles Vandelenr 
Cre gh, whose long experience and success in Hong- 
kong and the Native States under the Government of 
the Straits Settlements, make him eminently qualified 
to govern North Borneo. 
We have no doubt that groat as has been the 
progress in the past six years, the advance whioh the 
next similar period up to 1891 inclusive shall witness 
will be far more considerable. Hitherto rough 
exploring and pioneering work have occupied a great 
part of official attention : now the success and 
occupancy of large agricultural districts have been 
pretty well assured, capital and settlers are arriving, 
and the results in increased trade and revenue 
will speedily become visible. 
CEYLON UPCOUNrrilY PLANTING REPORT. 
THE MONSOON — MA' KET QUOTATIONS AND CEYLON TEAS 
— VARYING TEA VALUATIONS AND RESULTS — HOW TO 
TEST TEA TASTERS : A HINT FOR THE COMMITTEES OF 
AGRI-HORTICULTURAL SHOWS — JAT A *D LEAF — PLANT- 
ERS AND ICE-PUDDING AND KEROSENE OIL. 
11th June, 1888. 
The Monsoon we are having is quite a model 
for mildness. I suppose it will ma'ree up for this 
by and bye : meanwhile we are thankful for the 
present state of things, and taking every advantage 
we can, and, if it were not for the severe fall in 
the price of tea, we would be happy. 
By the way are the present market quotations 
wholly the result of depression and big deliveries ? 
I know it is said that much of the tea which is 
reaching home now was not by any means up 
to Ceylon's high standard, and that spite of other 
influences which are affecting the market to our 
detriment, the fact that many of the teas were so 
inferior could not but have acted to our disadvan- 
age. Even in the small list of estates which form 
the basis of comparison in your last London tele- 
gram, one of them was so wanting in rolling 
power, when the big rush of leaf was on, that 
the manager himself speaks in anything but a 
respectful way of the teas sent therefrom. He did 
not expect much from them, £M I fancy he must 
be mightily amused to lind them advanced to the 
high position of "standards." They may be good of 
their kind, but then the kind e as no t g 00 j. What- 
ever may be the cause or c auses of the low lange 
of prices, we will be all glad t . se^ them remove I. 
As to tea valuations^ it is Bumeuuies no. a u. lie- 
surprising to see how near th y come, and also 
how far thoy can be out. \ good estatj in Dun 
bu'a had a tea » ilu id at 1 - 8 m Colombo, an I 
which got only Is Id in London. Another o;«as 
valued here at Is Gd, the London tasters put i. do.va 
at Is Id, and it sold for is l, i " These be 
mysteries." In New York it is said, that a proof 
of an accompli-*' 1 loa master is to have tweuty- 
four sample! t i..c-.d b foro him which ho tastod, 
