662 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1882. 
the census of August 1st 1872 — nearly one year 
after the pa sage of the emancipation law — was 
1,510,806, but as some parishes were never heard 
from and as the census is notoriously de- 
fective, it is estimated that a total of 1 600,000* 
is much nearer the exact figure. The emancipation 
act itself provided for a general registiy of slaves up 
to the 30th September 1672, and a special registry 
up to the 30th September 1873. All slaves not re- 
gistered at this last date were declared free. Under 
this registry, however, which was mide obligatory 
under fines and 1 he granting of freedom to all unre- 
gistered slaves, the riguies are fully as untrustworthy 
as those in the census. Even to this day the slave 
population of the empire at the clo-ing of the books 
on the 30th September 1873, is not known. The re- 
turns as gi»en by Veiga in his compilation of the 
laws and regulations relating to emancipation, and 
■which he marks as defective, place the total registered 
slave population at 1,431,300, a total much below the 
census of the year preceding. In this last enu- 
meration, however, the returns are given as c mplete 
from all the provinces except four — Para, Pernambuco 
Minas Geiaes and Goyaz. It is evident, noi only 
from the testimony of the census, but from the occa- 
sional cases of the liberation of unregistered slaves, 
that this registry did not contain the total slave 
population at that time. As it is the official enumera- 
tion, however, and as all slaves not registered are 
legally free, we have no alternative but the acceptance 
of this total. 
In 1878 another attempt was made to obtain definite 
information as to the vital statistics of the slave 
population up to the close of that year, but this effort 
also failed. Eight provinces and the capital, accord- 
ing- to the last official report, compiled, while the 
reports from the other twelve were either incomplete, or 
were from statistics gathered in 1875 and 1876. From 
these reports the total slave population at the end of 
1878 was placed at 1.419,168. On the 28th ult. the 
Jomal do Cornmercio published the latest statistics 
relating to twelve provinces and the capital — all of 
which are brought down to the end of 1878 except 
two, which are complete to the end of 1880 — in which 
the changes of the slave population since 1S73 are 
given as follows : — 
Registered 683,497 
Emaucipaied 24,651 
Died 60,996 
Registered arrivals 86,274 
Registered departures ... 73,067 
Present population ... 611,057 
Relative decrease 72,440 
Absolute decrease 85, 647 
For the period in which these changes took place, 
these statistics show a relative annual decrease of oily 
about two per cent. The absolute annual decrease, 
however, is about two and one thi> d per cent., instead 
of the estimated five per cent, of the Jornul. This 
certainly is very far fiom a flattering exhibit of the 
operations of the emancipation law, especially when 
it is known that three-fourths of the manumissions 
are voluntary acts of slaveholders themnelves. An- 
other feature of this exhibit, which is worthy of 
further consideration, is the very low death rate 
among these slaves— it being about half thai; of this 
city. Under normal conditions one would expect to 
find a higher death rate in a class so badly housed, 
fed. and overworked. 
Although the emancipation act provided for the 
animal application of the fund for the liberation of 
slaves, only two distributions tool; place during the 
first decade, The amount set apart for these two dis- 
tributions— 1875 and 1 880- was 8, 128 612 $ 309, of 
* Viue Jornul do Comiucrcto, oept. 28 th, 1878. 
which 6,238,411$600 had been expended up to the 
latest reports. The absence of complete statistics 
renders it impossible to determine the whole number 
of manumissions under both of these distributions, the 
application of the fund being very slow and complicated. 
The Jornal gives the per capita expenditure at 700$. 
All things considered we cannot see that the law 
of 1871 has accomplished the work anticipated. ' It 
has resulted in an approximate deciease of only 2 J 
per cent, per annum, including dea'he, in the slave 
population, and it has guaranteed nominal freedom to 
some 250,000 children, who will remain practically in 
slavery until they reach the age jf twenty-one years. 
Laying all sentiment aside, the law has partially failed, 
for it promised more than it has performed. — Rio News, 
Oct 15th. 
GEM AND GOLD MINING RIGHTS IN CEYLON. 
General Rules promulgated December 1881. 
1. — The Government will claim no royalty on or share 
of the gems or goM found upon land in respect of which 
a license has been taken ou l , and is in force under these 
rules, but such lmd will be liable to any taxation which 
may hereafter be found necessary to provide, at the ex- 
pense of the grantees, the co t of such special police com- 
munication, wa'er supply, sanitation or other similar 
administrative arrangements as may, in the opinion of 
Government, be d ctated in the interests of the local c im- 
munity immediately or directly affected by the results of 
the grantee's operations. . 
2. — No license granted under these rules will convey any 
riaht to fell or destroy timber. 
3. — No license granted under these rules will convey any 
right to .divert any water course. 
4. — Lieeucee.s who desire to divert any water course must 
first obtain special permission in writing from the Govern- 
ment. Agent ot the province for that purpose. Such special 
permission must limit the diversion ot the water course to 
the area covered by the permission to dig, and must stip- 
ulate that all water running waste shall be returned 
within the limits of such area to its natural channel. 
5. — The Government reserves to itself the power to alter, 
cancel, i r add to any of the preeeeding or subsequent rules. 
Paiiicular Rules: Prospecting Licenses. 
6. — Prospecting licenses will be issued only for Crown 
Waste Lands 
7— No prospecting licenses whatsoever will be issued to 
dig for gems. 
"8. — Prospecting licenses will be issued to dig for gold 
on payment of R10 and on the following conditions: — 
The area on which the license is to extend shall not 
exceed half a square mile. 
The license shall be in fore" for six months. 
The gr mtee to have the exclusive right of prospecting 
within that area for that period and to have the option, 
at the expiration thereof, of applying for a regular leise 
of not more tha i 50 acres within the said area on the 
terms hereinafter described. 
Gemming Lands alienated by the Crown. 
9. — The proprietors of lands on which the rights of the 
crown to gems have been reserved may obtain a license 
to dig for and appropriate such gems on the payment of 
R10 which license will be in force for one year, and may 
he renewed annually on the like payment. 
Mining. 
10. — The proprietors of private lands may obtain a license 
to dig for gold on their lands on the payment of R10, 
which license shall be in force till the then next ensuing 
31st December, and may be renewed annually on a like 
payment. 
Crown Waste Lands. 
11. — Unlicensed diggers for g ins on such lands will be 
prosecuted. 
12. — Personal licenses will be issued to dig for gems 
on such lands on the following conditions:— area not to 
exceed tw acres: period till the then next ensuing ' 31st 
December. Price to be K5. 
13. — Mining leases will be issued to dig for gold on 
such lands on the lollowiiig conditions:— 
