ifEB. I, 1895.] THE f ROPICAL 
Agriculturist. 
563 
So far there has been nothing much to speak 
of the minerals found in the country. I met a 
man at Blantyre who found gold while digging 
a few years ago. Whilst travelling on the 
Chindi River I met another man who was going 
to Nyassa Lake to prospect. 
A rush as they call it in South Africa, has been 
going on as far as coffee is concerned, for some 
time past, — not actually a 'rush' but a great 
many people have gone there recently to try 
their fortune at coffee planting. 
The African Lakes Company is now undertak- 
ing the transport of goods and passengers as 
far as the north end of Tanganyika. The first 
part of the journey as far as the north of Nyassa 
is done by steamer. The rest is made over 
about 2o0 miles of land. On the Tanganyika 
Lake the Company has a schooner plying. I met 
Mr. Scott Elliot who was travelling for the 
Boyal Geographical Society. He left Mombassa 
about 13 months before me, and walked to 
Uganda. He then took boat at the South end 
of Victoria Nyanza where he discovered a river 
flowing towards the north end of the Tanganyika 
Lake. 
He penetrated as far as navigable, and when 
he left his boat he found that he had 100 miles 
to walk to the north end of Tanganyika Lake, 
so that he has found a new route to Uganda by 
the Zambizi Shree River and so on to the Lake 
at Uganda. By this route there is very much 
less land transport than by any other way 
known. There Avas a good deal of talk before I 
left about opening up this route for this propose." 
— — . + • 
THE EI LA TEA COMPANY. 
A general meeting of the shareholders of the 
Eila Tea Company of Ceylon, Limited, was held 
in the office of the agents and secretaries, Messrs. 
J. M. Robertson & Co., Colombo, at noon, on Feb. 
6th, for the purpose of receiving the following 
interim report by the directors for the half-year 
ended 31st Dec. last : — 
Your directors are glad to be able to report that, 
although the yield from both Eila aud Kanangama 
estates has not yet reached expectations, the prices 
realized have been satisfactory. The result for the 
half-year enable them to recommend the payment 
of an interim dividend of 5 per cent, being at the 
rate of 10 per cent per annum, after making ample 
provision for depreciation and reserve. 
Mr. F. W. Lois occupied the chair, and the 
others present were Messrs. Percy and Stanley 
Bois, V. A. Julius, and E. John. The notice call- 
ing the meeting was read and the minutes ap- 
proved. 
STATKMKNT BY Til IC CHAIRMAN. 
The Cn A 11; MAN explained that the object of 
the meeting was to declare an interim dividend, 
and it was wry gratifying that they were able 
to dn this, this being the firsl time that the 
Company had bad an interim dividend. The di- 
rectors had carefully considered the matter, and 
in view of thf good balance thought they could 
safely make I be distribution for the half-year. 
It might be interesting to state that although 
they wei'o.able to do this, the crops of the half year 
had not been so satisfactory as was expected. 
The original estimate for Kanangama estate was 
150,000 lb. ami it still stood at that and it was 
considered safe : bul the yield to the .' i 1 ~. 1 De 
oeuiber for the six months was) only 56,500 lb. 
as against 50,500 in 1893, being a" shortage of 
3,000 lb. on the half year as compared with 
1803, Ho might say, however, that since 31st Dee. 
the balance between the two years had been very 
nearly made up. As regarded Eila it was even 
worse. The original estimate was 190,000 lb. 
ami although Mr. Smeaton still adheres to his 
estimate Mr. Gibbon who visits the estates 
thought it was safer to reduce to 180,000 lb. The 
yield to 31st December was only 65,882 against 
82,864 last year, and although that was un- 
satisfactory in a way it was extremely gratify- 
ing that they were able to show such a good 
profit, in spite of the very large reduction in 
yield. That, of course, arose from the high prices 
obtained for lowcountry tea. He gave these 
figures because an enquiry had been made by a 
shareholder, and he thought it well that all 
should have the benefit of them. 
THE DIVIDEND. 
On the motion of Mr. E. John seconded by 
Mr. Percy Bois, it was unanimously resolved 
that an interim dividend for the past half-year 
be paid forthwith. 
A vote of thanks having been passed to the 
Chairman for presiding, the proceedings ter- 
minated. 
CEYLON EX POUTS AND DISTRIBUTION 1895. 
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