August i, 1S93.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
were becoming dcspocdent. It is the jsme amcngst 
the managers a^d aesittanls on the etiates. At the 
fume time, there is a general feeling ot expectaacy 
prevalent. The fsIps so for rfforted are only for 
Sumatra tobaccf', and we want to see our home-grown 
leaf fold equally well, to cotfi m rur hope? that a 
period of prosperity is before us. The fact that last 
year two crops at least were badly receiied on the 
market, through want of prt per handling ^B0 reported) 
during fermentation and haling, adds a touch of ner- 
vousress to the prevailing feeling. A recurrer.ce of 
this would almost be certain to close the eetalts 
from which the tobact o is shipped. Reports from the 
different estates, continue lavourable. Planting is 
being pushed on vigorc usly, 
COFFEE. 
The three coffee estat'.s in this Baj are ccming 
forward in a way that isveiy satisfactory to those 
ronccrned, and 1 hear the same rf ports a^ to the 
coffee eetate in Marudu Bay, in which our Commis- 
siouer of Lands takes great interest. I see you have 
a paragraph, in one of }our late issues, on Borneo 
gambier. The Chinaman, who made the venture in 
planting this vine, is fo fatisfied with the results as 
to quality snd value, that he is now extending his 
operations. He has another small par el ready for 
Bhipment and there is no reason why this pl^nt 
sbonld not be cultivated on a large scale by the 
Chinese. — Straits paper. 
COLONISING AND PLANTING IN EAST- 
ERN PERU— AT THE HEADWATERS 
OF THE AMAZON. 
(By an Aberdonian Pioneer.) 
Dentvillc, 5 h March 1893. 
As I expect mules down with rrovisions for us 
toon I am taking the opportunity of stirdlng yon 
a line to let j ou know how we are gettii g eloug on 
the Perene. It is cow over f 'ur months since we 
came down here and a'thongh we ore ])aBsing thrjujh 
the rtiiny teipon in a great ini asure unpnpirtd, we 
are g( tting elong wonderfully well. Our lew colo- 
nibts have got tbfms«.lvfs .well estallished with 
good houses up and are I may say fairly corefoit- 
a')ie, lut owing to the difficulty of transport, our 
greatest drawback has beau the want of proper food. 
You will be rither eslonisbed to hear tbat we have 
liad a let of fever down here, myself gtttioga dose 
Btncng the rest. It is fcowtver very eimjle and 
easily got . rid of and no doubt when Ihe phce is 
rcore opered op aid letter food obtuicable this will 
pass away. 
Mr, Mackerzie wieely refrained from sending down 
more people this season as it would have been impos- 
sible to have fed them. With regard to my own viork I 
cannot say that I have much to tell j on. I have only had 
two and three men woikirg with me, and these 1 em- 
ploj ed cultivating a few acres acd building. I tind great 
trouble with the auts and will have to abandon the 
jUat piece and clear virgin lands. They don't touch 
ma:ze rice much, but yucca they simply devour. In this 
way of clearing we have dene very little having arrived 
too late in the set son bnt trust that this time next 
year will Ji&ve a betttr show. 
A tew road is being made from the cnmp at 
Paucartambo down the side of the Perene, and 
a number ot colonists are Eottlirg round there. I 
am alraid it will lake a long time to complete and 
until it is finished we can never expect To make 
moch headway here. If plenty of iabcur was at 
command it would tot be a great undertaking, but 
as things are it will take some time. 
Tho question of labour is going to be a very 
serious tne, for finding plenty of work around 
Chenchamoj o, Oholas don't core to come to far down 
except at greatly iLcreasod pay. lu two or three 
years time when our coffee comes into bearing it 
will be • eexiuna thing if we oauLot fiud eufiicieut 
labcur to fake our crop off. The Indians arcun*! 
here cannrt be depended upon as they only wor'' 
when the fit lakes them acd tbat is very seldom. 
In my last ,'ett(r to yen I mentiontd that I bad 
written to Mr. Mackenzie re the introduction of 
coolies. He now informs me that this maltcr is 
receiving due attention in London. It is my most 
sincere hope that they may te able to carry it through 
successfully as it means a great deal to up. 
I do not know what is to be done re an outlet 
for our proiluce, but I trust it will fe by theAmszon. 
I intend visiting the Cascades a li'tle later on to see 
what thpy are like and see the lands on the way down. 
A considerable number of people keep coming 
into the camp, but I would like to get more 
Scotchmen who had a trifle of capital to form 
in a way the backbone of the Colony. I have 
not the least doubt there are plenty at home who 
would gladly come if matters were properly represented 
to them. 
We are now in the height of the rainy aiason and 
it is not disagreeable to live in. We have mosquitoes, 
but they don't bother ua much. Gnats are tlie trouble 
and just now they are terrible. One of my bauds is 
brealting out into sores through them. 
No doubt they will disappear as the country is 
cleared. Everyone suffers more or less from bjils on 
tlieir arrival, but that is good for them. 
Taking tverything into consideration I feel very 
hopeful of this scheme being a sucoefs. With the 
labour question settled I would have no hesitancy 
in taking up a tract of land myself and feel con- 
fidert of success, DifiBcnlties we wiH have and in a 
country of this kind things are not done in a day, 
but with a liitle bit of perseverance and pluck we 
will get over them. 
I have been written to regarding "China Grass" 
(Bohmeria Nivea) and although I have found what 
I suppose to be it from description ytt I am in no 
way certain of it. 
We have had lo<s of tigers (jaguars) oominif round 
us and some good specimens have been seen, bnt 
nothing of any size killed. We have plenty of birds 
but other game i.s scarce. 
X can't say that I have seen many orchids that I 
consider goo J, but I have not seen many in bloom yet. 
TEA AND EXCHANGE. 
The following is the letter addressed by the Hon. 
P. Playfair to the Indian Currency Association : — 
I offer you a copy of a calculation we have made 
showing the profits earned by the Joint Stock Tea 
Companies of Calcutta during the past and previous 
years. 
It seems that on a capital of R2,68,61,0o8 a profit 
of H 26,42,031 has been made on Revenue Account, or 
10-l-,5 per cent. Of this surplus per cent appears 
to have been distributed to shateborders. 
At first sight this appears to be an excellent return 
to investors, until the question of depreciation by 
Exchange is considered. As 'nvestors in tea are 
almost exclusively British, who have either brought 
out capital or hope to return to England with their 
capital, any variation in the sterling value of these 
investments must be of importance. 
Between 1st January 1891 and 1st January 1893 
Exchange fell 20 per cent (from Is 6 13-12 to Is 
2 23-32d. Bank Bills on demand) which means 
E,51,72,20e of the above capital, while the profits of 
these two years amount only to E38,94,636, leaving 
a difference of R12,77,o70, say 5 per cent w^hicb, if it 
cannot at once be described as loss, does not, at all 
events, warrant the distribution of dividends. 
But for very handsome profits made on Duara 
Gardens this d preciat on would have Icen intens Bed. 
And here we deecry the undue (temporary ) advantage 
that new comers may hove over older prcduceri', ilO.OCO 
spent in the Duars having proJucid a ganlen four 
times greater than that formerly obtainable fir tbo 
sane money invested in A"f»m. The ultimate retnlt 
to the country vaijiiot i>rodnce ^oodifit killii w\ t^Q 
old Bettleii 
