632 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1889. 
(Quinine was dull except near the end of the month, when 
some large sales were made at Is 9d. From this period 
a decided downward turn was given to the market by 
the iucreased exports from Oeylon. In April prices 
dropped from Is 8d to Is 6d, at which figure business 
to some extent was done, and gradually declined 
to Is 5d to Is 4d. From Blay to December prices have 
varied but little, ranging from Is 4d to Is 6d, with 
a few sales of second-haud lots at Is 3Jd and Is 3d. 
Daring the first days of the new year a somewhat 
better tone prevailed, and there are now buyers at 
Is 3id in the market but no sellers. The Oeylon ex- 
ports from 1st October to 31st December which were 
feared to exceed those of 1887, have remained within 
the same limits. 
Lust year has taught again the old lesson that an 
increase iu the exports of Cinchona bark is invariably 
followed by a decrease in its value. If in the face of 
thi3 established fact planters continue to send over 
more bark than is required, they must not wonder 
at bad returns. Extraordinary evantualities, such as 
war etc. excepted, the quinine market will be chiefly 
ruled for some time to come by the exports of bark 
from oeylon and Java. 
Export from Java during the season, viz. from 1st 
July to 30th June: — 
1887-88 3,492,913 Amsterdam lb. 
1886- 87 2,230,275 „ 
1885- 86 1,531,156 „ 
1884- 85 1,195,976 „ 
1883-84 1,104,534 „ 
1882-83 420,668 „ 
Exports from the Malabar Coast during the sea- 
son, viz. from 1st July to 30th June: — 
1887- 88 1,070,160 lb. 
1886- 87 272,048 „ 
1885- 86 1,070,160 „ 
On account of its high standard Java Bark is gain- 
ing more and more importance. The efforts made by 
some London merchants and brokers to draw thither 
a greater part of the shipments from Java have not been 
successful so far, the quantity offered at.the London sales 
during last year being 900 packages less than in 1887. 
The foregoing figures show : — 1. An increase in the 
shipments from Java (though same did not turn out 
quite as large as anticipated). 2. A decrease in the 
exports from Ceylon, and in the London stocks. 
In order to form as clear an idea as possible about 
the course Quinine is likely to pursue in future, one 
must take into consideration that a great number 
of trees in Oeylon has been and is being cut down to 
make room for tea, and that the consumption of Sul- 
phate of Quinine is steadily growing. On the other band 
it, ought to be remembered that Java and Bolivia 
send over increasing quantities of bark, and that 
large stocks of Quinine are in the hands of speculators 
in London. O late there has been some talk again 
about shilling (25 cents) Quinine. Speaking for our- 
selves, we fail to see bow bark and quinine can be 
produced at such a price ; we are however, always 
ready to bow before superior knowledge, and if the 
promoters of this idea will be good enough to 
show us the way to carry it out we shall feel much 
obliged. In their calculations these prophets must 
bear in mind that planters of bark would have to 
accept fully forty per cent less than they are getting 
now, in order to enable manufacturers to sell at Is, 
without losing money. 
Cinchona Druggist's Bark. — Genuine flat Oalisaya 
continues scarce and dear at 2s to 2s 6d. Other 
varieties were offered more freely at Is 8d to Is lOd. Some 
trial shipments of cultivated flat Bolivian Oalisaya which 
came to Hamburg, did not find favour with druggists, 
though they contained about 4 per cent Sulphate of 
Quinine, the strips being too thin and badly shaped. 
—Of Soccihubra (Red bark), there was always plenty 
of good to fine quills on hand, and especially at the 
Amsterdam sales. 
Loxa and Huanoco which are nearly out of use 
in Germany, are still much sought after by French 
buyero and command good prices. 
Flat ykllow Bark Maracaibo and Puerto Cabello 
obtainable in spriDg 1887 at 5d has since gone up to 1 
8d to 8£d, and up to the present has maintained 
this high price which is utterly out of proportion to 
its intrinsic value. Hamburg is the principal market, 
and every parcel on arrival found ready buyers, some- 
times even before being landed. 
♦ 
Tea Notes from India.— Tea pruning is pro- 
gressing iu Durrung. The weather has been cold 
in Cachar and Sibsaugor. Seasonable weather is 
reported from Sylhet, Goalpara, Kamroop, Dur- 
rung, Nowgong, and Luckimpore. Deuba Dun, 29th 
Jan. — Since I wrote last we have had 1-14 rain- 
fall, and it is still raining. Rain was much 
wanted both for the tea and crops. Dabjeeling, 2nd 
Feb. — Heavy fall of rain on to 30th — 2'20 in. Very bene- 
ficial for nurseries, very cold — Indian Planters' Gazette. 
The Employment of Sucker Fish in Turtle - 
fishing. — Professor A. C. Haddon from Thursday 
Island, Torres Straits, has been sending some 
interesting notes to Nature. One series of observa- 
tions had reference to a remarkable fish which 
largely respires by means of its caudal fin rather 
than its gills.— But of most general interest is an 
account of the employment of the sucker-fish in 
turtle-fishing as follows: — ■ 
In the Straits there are two periods of turtle-fishing, 
the one during October and November, which is the 
pairing season, and when turtle are easily speared 
owing to their floating on the surface of the water 
the other, during the remaining months of the year 
when the turtle frequent the deeper water and the 
channels between the reefs. It is then that the 
sucker-fish — or, as the natives term it, " Gapu," — is 
utilized. I have, at present, no means of determining 
the species of Echeneis common in the Straits. I 
believe it to be E. naucrata, as the species here attains 
a greater length than E. remora. When going out 
turtle-fishing, a Gapu is caugbt, and the more ex- 
perienced natives have no great difficulty in procuring 
one when it is required. A hole is made at the 
base of the caudal fin by means of a turtle-bone, and 
the end of a very long pi' ce of string is inserted in 
the hole and made fast. The end of a second, quite 
short, piece of string, is passed through tbe mouth 
and out by the gills. By means of these two strings the 
fish is retained, while slung over the sides of the 
canoe, in tbe water. When a turtle is sighted deep 
down in the water, the front piece of string is with- 
drawn, plenty of slack beiDg allowed for the hind 
spring. The Gapu on perceiving the turtle immediately 
swims towards it, and attaches itself to the reptile's 
carapace. A man, with a long rope attached to an 
upper arm, dives into the water and is guided to the 
turtle by the line fastened to the Gapu's tail. On 
reaching the turtle, the man gets on its back, and 
passes his arms behind aud below the fore-flapp- rs, 
and his legs in front and below the hind-flappers. 
The man is then rapidly drawn up to the surface of the 
water bearing the turtle with him. On the arrival of 
the diver the Gapu usually shifts its position from 
the carapace to the plastron of the turtle. At the 
end of the day's fashing the Gapu is eaten. The 
natives have a great respect for the Gapu, and 
firmly believe the fish possesses supernatural powers. 
For example, when there is something the matter 
with the bow of the canoe, the Gapu is said to 
attach itself to the neck or the nuchal plate of the 
turtle ; when the lashings of the outrigger to the 
thwart poles are insecure, the Gapu is believed 
not to stick fast to the turtle, but to continually 
shift its position ; if the strengthening ties in the 
centre of the hold of the canoe are faulty, the Gapu 
is stated to attach itself to the turtle, and then 
immediately to swim away. More than once I was 
told, " Gapu savvy all the same as man ; I think 
him half devil." The sucker-fish is not used to 
haul iu the large green turtle. I was repeatedly told 
that it would be pulled off, as the turtle was too 
heavy. The above information was gathered from 
several sources, and checked by meanB of much 
questioning. 
Can anyone say if a similar praotice is followed 
by any of the Ceylon fishermen ? 
