THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. i, 1894. 
BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA- 
Fbcm Southampton to Centbal Afbioa is 59 Days 
Including Stoppages. 
Tbe latest news to hand ol this interesting 
Country is in the British Central Africa Gazette ol 
June 28th. Mr. John H. Nicoll writing about 
" Ghikusi's Country," says :— 
"The Eastern slopes of tbe Kirk Range are remark, 
ably fertile : the roil, though thiu in some places, 
is jet mostly deep and ri< h ; there are many we 1 
sheltered hollows at an elevation not too low for 
coffee cultivation : and the country generally is weil 
wooded and watered." 
A meeting of Blautyre land-owners was held in the 
Oonrt House Blantyre on the 15th June, to discuss 
the question of forming a town-hip at B'autjre. 
There were present, Mr. John Buchanan c.m.g. as 
representing Buchanan Brothers, Mr. I Limagna, 
(Lamagna & Co ) Mr. Kasimir Steblecki, Mr. J E 
McMaster, (on behalf of the B.C. A. Administration) 
and Mr. Lloyd (Government Surveyor.) After tomi 
discussion. Ouriug which the question of a future 
water supply by gravita'ion, sh6 ter from prevailing 
winds, health, Ibe oouditions to be agreed to by those 
whose property should form part of the townehip 
and other subjects, were ooutidered, the members of 
tbe meeting adjourned to the si<e proposed as tie 
centre of the future toWLship. After a careful pre- 
liminary examii ation, it wss unanimously agreed that 
the best site for tbe town would be one which 
would have for its centre the small V shaped p'eoe of 
ground belopging to H. M. Goven mi nt, near Chili- 
monis old village, and embracing the surrounding lon i 
of the Blantyre* Mission, Buchanan Brothers Lamagna 
& Co., Mr. Stebhcks, Mr. H. M. Govt. Pettitt Bros. 
&c. It was also agreed that Mr. L'ojd should prepa-e 
a survey of 100 acres, more or less, to in lu'c the 
greater part ot the ri ige running from tbe " Boma" 
to Chihmoi'i's old v.llage ; and to tbe Ens', into the 
Miss on l«n', and possibly Mr. Sbarre-s j and to tbe 
West into Buchanan Brothers land. 
Mr! A. J. Swann informed the Editor, that his 
journey from Southampton to Fort Job us ton was male 
in 69 days, and that this included stoppages at 
Zomba and other plsces en route. 
A straight io»d from Zombato Mian j a (Fort Lister) 
was completed for over two-thirds of its ci-tsnce 
aod should have been ready for treffio about the 
midddle of July. 
Mr. Poulett Weatber'ey, who receally passed 
through the Shire Highlands, was oo hiswiy with a 
lar'e expedition for L^ke Mweru and the Luapola 
rivir. Mr. Wealherly hoped to reach and explore Like 
Bangwtolo and the Upper Luapul*, south of John- 
ston's Falle, and exp cted to be away lortwo years. 
In Noes on Natural History by Mr J. Bowhill we 
re? (l . n More people in Bmiau Central Africa are 
killed, it is presumed, by crocodiles tban by all the 
rest of the wild beasts put together. At Tete.it was 
estimated that annually, 50 paople lost their lives ; 
and at this station alone, lost year 10 were cirii.d 
* W '*The peculiar conformation of a crocodi'e enables 
him to attack and seize his prey unawares. A long 
canal conneots their nostrils with tbe back of their 
throats, their eyes and ears are pliced in the upper 
part ol the head sj that while in the water they 
can see, hear, and bre ithe, while they are practically 
invisible. When they go below the water, they 
close their nostrils and ears by valves, and their 
ejes are covered over by a transparent membrane. 
A flap ctmes over their gullet to prevent the water 
going down their throats, when they are holding their 
prey under, to drown it. Their te th are hollow at 
the base aud eech tooth serves as a sheath for 
another which will in time replace it. It is generally 
supposed that tbe crocoaile has no ttngue, but there 
is one at the bottom of tbe month. The lower jaw 
is hinged to the b<ck of the skull and it is this alone 
wl ich moves, not the upper portion, when it is catch- 
ing prey or sitting sunniDg itself in a bank waiting 
for the crocodile bird to come f nd pickthe leeches 
from its mouth," 
PRESERVING BOOKS IN THE TROPICS. 
In tbe Indian Museum Library, where tbe booka 
are kept in close-fitting glass cases, with a fewouueea 
of naphthaline upon each shelf, little or no damage is 
caused by insects. From a note furnsbel by Mr. R. 
Chapman, late librarian, it appears th»t the paste 
used in binding tbe Indian Museum books is po soned 
by adding about half an ounoe of sulphate of copper 
to each lb. of piste, while hooka alretdy infested are 
disinfected by rhutting them up for four or five days 
in a cloae-fiUing box of loose napbtba'ioe * i th as much 
of this sabstance as possible between the leaves. — 
Keio Bulletin. 
DRUG REPORT. 
(From Chemist and brugyitt.) 
Lonlon, August 2ud. 
Annatto. — Fourpenoe per lb. is the price required 
for good seed from Cocon-d«, but only 2d per lb. 
was hid. For good West Indian se> d 2Jd to 2Jd per 
lb. is the price. 
Cinchona.— The only lot sold today was a 150 lb. 
oase of damaged South American red bark in broken 
qu i, which realised 5s 9d per lb. 
Coca-lraves. — The price a-ked today for 4 baits 
good green Truxillo is lOd per lb. 
INDIAN PATENTS. 
Calcutta, Auk. 9tb. 
Tbe fees prescribed in Sohednle 4 of Act Vol 1688 
have been paid for the rontinuioee of exeloaive pri- 
vilege in respect of the undermentioned indentions:— 
Rotaby Fans — No. 48 of 1830.— Ueory Aland, of 
73, R >opell Street, Lambetb, in tbe Co. of Surrey, 
Er gland, Eugineer for impiovi menta in the con- 
struction of rotary fans for producing or inducing 
curr nta ot air, lor bhwiog, ventilating and other 
analogous purpesas. (From 19th August 1894 to 18th 
August 1895.) 
cotton Machine.-No. 69 of 1888— William Sulton 
Bocquet (deceased) late of Rawalpindi, India District, 
Locomotive and Carnage Superintendent, North- 
Western Railway, for a machine for pressing c >tton 
and other substances of a like nature. (Fum 7th Aug, 
1894 to 6th Aug. 1895.— Indian Engineer. 
UTILITARIAN SIDE OF BOTANY. 
(From Lord Salisbury's Address be/ore the British 
Association.) 
Botanists do nit seem to have realized, exoept 
in the case of medicine, that modern bjtany has 
an outlet. Chemists and physicists seek practical 
aims. Zoologists help the fishing industry , 
Professor Ray Lankester's laboratory at Plymouth 
co a tributes to the nation's prosperity as well aa 
to reseat ch. But where is the praotioal outcome 
of modern botany? The brilliant work of Marshall 
Ward is full of purpose to many large industries, 
and that of Oliver has bearings on horticulture; 
but the trend of botaoical work in this country 
has not been utilitarian. The Scottish Univer- 
sities Commissioners made botany, bracketed with 
zoology, optional with mathematics for tbe degree 
in agriculture — an illustration of the little im- 
portance attached to bctiny by the lay mind. 
But it was its utilitarian side that gave the first 
impetus to the scientific study of botany. The 
plant world as the source of products of eco- 
nomic value and drugs attracted attention, and 
out of this grew by natural development the 
systematic study of plants. The point of view 
was that botany was an essential branch of 
medical study. A practical outoome «ras the 
establishment of botanioal gardens — now in many 
instanoes appendages of teaching establishments, 
or mere pleasure grounds. But the gardens at 
Kaw still maintain the old tradition of botanic 
