Aug. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL 
It is rather high ; but it includes the large ratio of 
deaths incurred in warfare, in hunting, and the 
deaths of infants. The actual percentage of deaths 
during the last three years from malarial fever is 
per cent." 
" How many Europeans are there in Nyassaland 
now '?" 
" At the commencement of '94 there were just 230; 
recent arrivals have brought this (total up to nearly 
270. Some of them are Australians, who, instead of 
going to Paraguay, are desirous of seeing whether they 
cannot profitably cultivate the kindlier regions of 
Nayssa." 
"What are the chief places of European settle- 
ment ?" 
" The Shire Highlands (No ; they are not much 
healthier)— the little loop of country south of the 
Lake ; the healthy plateaux of the Angoni to the 
south-west and west of the Lake ; the north-west end 
of the Lake : and the south end of the Lake 
Tanganyika, which appears to be remarkably healthy 
for Europeans, considering that it is so near the 
Equator and not at a very great altitude." 
•' Suppose I go to Nyassaland tomorrow, Mr. John- 
ston, with £250 in my pocket. Should I be able to 
make money cut of the land? " 
" No ; unless you had some means of existence 
there— employment with a planter, say. But if you 
had £500, and especially if you associated your- 
se'f with a planter already there, you could do very 
well. Yon should not go with a capital of less 
than £500." 
I should start a Nyssaland edition of the St. James's 
Budget. Have you a newspaper yet ? " 
" No ; but we have a sheet for official notices 
and the like, and the mission stations have printing 
presses." 
" Suppose I go to Nyassaland with a sound constitu- 
tion, an average head-piece, willing hands, and empty 
pockets : of what service would the country be to this 
item of the British race ? " 
" I should be delighted to see you ; but you had 
better stay at home. Emigrants to Nyassaland should 
have capital. If a man have capital and can give up 
alcohol, save as a very rare tonic, he ought to live in 
health and do well in the region." 
" What can one get out of the country, Mr. 
Johnston, besides coffee ? Is there mineral 
wealth ? " 
" Yes ; I have brought home some specimens of 
Nyassa coal, from the proximity of the Lake, but 
have not yet had expert opinion upon it. There 
is gold, too, in the rocks, but we have not yet found 
any alluvial gold. It is an open question at present 
whether the gold in the rocks would be worth the cost 
of working and of transport." 
" What are the transport services and oharges ? " 
" The transport service as regards steamers on 
the Lake and rivers is rapidly improving. The 
freights within the last twelve months have actually 
fallen 50 p°r cent. The steamers are owned 
locally. There are the African Lake Ho., Sharrer's 
Zambesi Traffic Co., and the African International 
Flotilla Co But the list of natural resources is 
not exhausted. There is everywhere iron of ex- 
cellent quality, and already beins used by us. The 
existence of petroleum is suspected. In the region of 
the Upper Shirs' there are quantities of marble 
bills which furnish excellent lime. There is plenty 
of good building-stone, which is being used at 
ZomHa ; but the majority of the European buildings 
are of brick, the soil making capital bricks 
and tiles. Timber is «lso good and abundant, the 
cedars particularly furnishing building-timbar of the 
finest description." 
" Altogether a fine dominion, evidently, which 
tou have secured for tha Umpire. Mr. Johnston ; and 
I hope the Empire main* to make your hands strong 
enough to keep it and develop it. 
R-!con"y ws m-ntiorted fir " £5,000 " 's in- 
formation that wo feared th« voyage and journey 
fromCjylon toBla^tvrn would oicuny the bolter part 
of three months ? But we see that Mr. Johnston 
leaving on 4th April was in England early in 
AGRICULTURIST. 109^ 
June, if not before May oloeed. If steamers served 
oonveniently between Colombo, Port Louis, Zanzi- 
bar and the 8hire River, no doubt a month might 
be knocked off our estimate. 
JAVA AND THE DUTCH PRODUCE 
COMPANIES. 
The reports of some of the leading Dutch trading 
and finmcial concerns direotly or indireotly interested 
in Java produce are i-sued. Tha Netherlands Trad- 
ing Company, it is announced, will pay a dividend 
of 9 per cent for the past year, the extra, reserve 
fund, however, being drawn upon for this purpose. 
The Nethtrlands India Agricultural Company, which 
is in relation with 26 sugar manuf actories, will pay 
a dividend of 4 9 per cen*. The Amsterdam Credit 
and Trading Company Bunk will pay 10 per cent, 
although it is admitted that the galea of produce in 
Amsterdam were unfavourable last year owing to 
continually falling', prioes. The Java Agricultural 
Company will pay a dividend of 8*15 per oent. — 
H. and C. Mail. 
» 
TRAVANCORE PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION 
NORTHERN (SHENCOTTAH) DISTRICT. 
Minutes of meeting held at Colatoorpulay, at noon 
on 16th June, 1894. 
Preseot:— Messrs. H. M. Knight (Chairman T.PA.), 
T. Clarke, J. Stewart, R. T. Miller, R, J. Berry, and 
A.C Williams. 
Mr. Knight having been asked to take the chair the 
following resolutions were passed :— 
STOPPING CARTS LOADED WITH TEA AT CHOWKEY, 
Mr. Berry proposed and Mr. Miller ssconded. — 
A statement of tea exported from Travancore during 
M. E. 1068, having been oalled for by the Government 
and submitted through the T.P.A.this meeting protests 
against the action taken by Government, in stopping 
e»rts et Chowkeys' and calling upon handymen to 
unload their freights on the road, when particulars 
of the loads are sent with the handymen. 
BONDED WAREHOUSES FOR TEA IN 8. INDIAN PORTS. 
The copy of letter from Madras Government having 
been read, giving consent to euoh a warehouse in 
a southern port, Mr. Clarke proposed : — " That this 
meeting records its cordial support to Mr. Knight-, and 
asks him to carry this matter to a successful issue." 
Mr. Berry seconded and it was carried nem. con. 
AMERICAN MARKETS. 
After considerable disoussion the following waa 
moved from the ohair and adopted. This meeting ap- 
proves of Travanoore subscribing on same terms as any 
other Tea growing Distriot in Northern India, it 
being dearly understood that Travancore be represented 
as a District, and not merely as a contributor. — 
Carried nem. con. 
Kulthurritiy Valley Hospital,— H. H. Govern- 
ment having agreed to assist the planting commu- 
nity by giving them an ainual contribution, equi- 
na! nt to a sum whioh oould be raised by the Planters 
themselvep, up to a maximum of R1.000, Mr. Berry 
proposed tha*, the Hospital be at once started, the 
Venture Bungalow and kitoheu to be acquired for the 
purpose, and th»t Mr. Knight to ask the Government 
to grant the site on which the buugalow and out- 
buildings now occupy, and give another site for 
Medioal Officers' residenoe— and that Messrs Wi'liams, 
Berry, and Knight next to settle preliminaries. Se- 
conded from the ohair and onrried nem. con. 
Mr. Bebrt proposed the Govern nent be asked to 
refund ha'f the amount expended by Naganiallav 
estate ainoe November last, till end of May, amount- 
ing to R535. 
Mr. Williams seconded, and the proposal w*s 
carried. 
Imp»mation op Labour. — Mr. Clarke and the 
Chairman spoke at some length on this . ib- 
iect. Th» latter declared it would oast nj iu re 
in the shape of advaac* i to import foroiga labour 
