September r, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE LABOUR DIFFICULTY IN FIJI. 
(From the Fiji Tim'*, July 6th.) 
In again reverting to the reply of his Excellency to 
the deputation that recently waited upon him with 
reference to the insufficiency of the labor supply for 
1881, we propose to draw attention to its general 
bearing upon the native question. The proposition of 
the lion. Edward Langton was to the effect that in 
view of the serious losses certain to he entailed on 
planters through a want of hands, and considering 
the extent to which the progress of the colony would 
be thereby retarded, his Excellency should intimate 
to the chiefs that the Government opposition to their 
young men engaging as agricultural laborers was tem- 
porarily withdrawn. The reply was as deci-ive as 
the reasons advancer! iu support of it wero weak and 
1111 touable. "His Excellency was opposed to the in- 
denture of Fijians for a long period, at a distanco 
from their homes, and while he was willing to devote 
his time and euergy to assist the planters in other 
ways, ho could hold out no hope whatever in this di- 
rection." It will be noticed that the use of the words 
"long period" is almost Gotdoni'n in its diplomatic 
finesse. To the Fijian public it of course conveys 110 
other meaning than that of twelve months, the longest 
period permissible under Ordinance, but to readers 
at a distance it id charmingly indefinite, and may 
mean any interval supervening between boyhood and 
old age. In arriving at the above conclusion, Mr. 
Des Vceux was dealing with a matter seriously 
affecting two distinct but not diverse interests. If 
these interests are inimical ; if an assent to the sug- 
gestion made on behalf of the planters could in its 
operation exercise an injurious effect upon either the 
moral, social, or general well-being of the Fijian, 
then, the decision is most undoubtedly the correct 
on.', even though the progress of the colony should 
suffer in consequence. If, however, instead of being 
inimical, these interests are identical; if 1 he benefit 
conferred upon the planter by a consent to this pro- 
position would be equally shared in by the Fijian, 
while at the same time the progress of the colony 
would be thereby materially advanced, the official 
veto can hut be regarded as a most lamentable error 
in judgment. His Excellency affirms a belief in the 
flr.-t position,, and therefore claims to be right in his 
refusal ; we as confidently assert the correctness of 
the second, and consequently impeach both the justice 
and good policy of the course adopted. The hon. 
E. Laogton represented no less bhan .C 100,000 of 
Benefiting themselvi 
at large.' Had the 
Gordon, he would 
gracious consent to 
to his own previom 
inn would have des 
even the contemptible merit of financial success to 
recommend it. It is slavery, with the disgraceful ad- 
junct that it perseveres in the miserable affectation 
of an attempt to disguise its real character under tho 
hypocritical garb _ of philanthropy. Can the Fijian 
subject of the British Crown, existing under its op- 
eration, say, "I am a Free Man." His Excellency 
has answered "No." Then the p rpetuation of the 
system is a disgrace to the Government that has in- 
augurated it and a scandal to tho flag under the shadow 
of which it is maintained 
INDIAN GOLD MINING. 
A " Practical Miner" writes to tho Mining Journal : — 
I have read in your valuable Journal of July 9tb, n 
communicated article on the Indian gold mines, written 
I suppose, by some mining engineer who has had the 
necessary training and education to understand goH 
mining ab a glance. 
First, he says the character of the quartz in the 
mines of Wynaad and Mysore has a waxey or milky 
appearance, and it is entirely free from any ferruginous 
matrix — pyrites of iron. Now, Sir, I have worked in 
the most productive mines of both California and 
Nevada. My experience teaches me, if you wish to 
find good profitable gold mines you must End 
your lodes and reefs well charged with iron pyrites. 
In fact, all profitable gold mines 011 the Pacific 
Coast are found on large north and south ferruginous 
veins in slate, gneiss, greenstone, quartzit 1 , etc. I 
never saw a profitable gold mine on the Pacific Coast 
or elsewhere iu the pure compact quartz 60 feet from 
surface. I have seen gold mines in California — the 
Sutler Creek Mine which was profitably worked near 
200 fathoms from surface, but the gold was associated 
with iron pyrites and a small percentage of galena. The. 
celebrated gold mines of Nevada County, California — 
the Rocky bar Eureka, Allison's Ranch ; French Lead; 
and Idaho Mines— which have been the best paying 
mines of California — were found in ferruginous lodes, 
some of them worked to a depth of 170 fathoms. I 
have seen in the pure compact quartz veins good 
deposits of gold near the surface, but never a mine that 
was worked profitably 50 feet from surface. At Souoia 
in Tuolumne County, I have known the clean quartz 
veins productive, 20 and even SO feet from surface 
My practical experience iu gold mining tells me you 
may as well expect to find a profitable copper mine 
without sulphur as a profitable auriferous mine without 
iron pyrites. Australian gold mines have precisely 
the same characteristics, also the gold mines of Nova- 
Scotia, Brazils. The late Capt. Tims. Treloar, of the 
Don Pedro Mines, says tho rich portions of the lodea 
are found more auriferous in the ferruginous matrix 
than elsewhere. 
^ .Secondly, your correspondent says in the Kolar district 
the planters; he lias utterly discarded the transparent 
fie ion of free agency hitherto so persistently employed 
and has the courage to slate the naked hut unpala'- 
ablo truth; that the Fijian British subject is not n 
free man ; that his labor is not his own (o disposo 
of; ami that he shall not earn his living in his own 
way by working for tho planters, however much his 
inclination or interest may prompt him to tint course. 
Toe system by which the entire l iber of the Fijian is 
monopolised by the Governmont lor revenue raising 
purposes is inherently vioions m principle an I most 
afaastronaly ruinous in practice, both to tho morale 
and physique of the native, besides which it has not 
Courses, heaves and dis'ocations ; they arc the great 
these disturbances the veins "are seldom productive for 
any distance. All intelligent gold miners know from 
expencuco that the quality of tho veins in Californ a is 
dependent on the mysterious effec's of the junction of 
rocks of different composition. — M. Mail. 
CASTOR OIL GAS-WORKS AT JEYPORE 
A hint for Ce lon where the castor oil pi nits grow 
freely can surely be taken from lha following:— 
A report by Major S. S. Jacob, on the Jeyporo Oil 
