IOO 
THE  tropical  agriculturist. 
[August  i,  1892. 
heavily  taxed  that  whilst  the  Revenue  remained  the 
same  the  quantity  produced  would  fce  reduced  to  say 
about  half  the  present  amount  \ undoubtedly  this  would 
provean  unpopular  measure  : but  that  it  would  be  for 
the  good  of  the  people,  no  one  who  has  studied  the 
annals  of  crime  in  the  Island  of  Oeylon  can  doubt. 
Crime  accompanied  by  violence,  steadily  advances 
with  the  increased  sale  of  arrack  and  toddy;  and 
brings  in  its  train  sorrow  and  misery  to  thousands  of 
families. 
My  best  thanks  are  due  to  H.  E.  Lord  Wedlock 
ad  the  Madras  Officials  for  ihe  great  kindness  and 
hospitality  shown  me  duriu*3  my  tour  through  the 
Madias  Presidency, — all  did  their  utmost  to  assist 
in  every  possible  way  to  make  the  mission  a success 
and  nothing  could  exceed  the  kindness  with  whioh 
I was  received.  Edward  J.  Young. 
minutes  of  a meeting  at  trichinofly  on  the 
19th  February,  1892. 
Present : — Mr.  Young,  Mr.  Mactaggart,  British  India 
Steam  Navigation  Company ; Mr-  Betts,  South  Indian 
Railway  Company. 
1.  The  question  of  improved  arrangements  for  Ihe 
conveyauce  of  the  cooly  traffic  between  India  and 
Ceylon  having  been  discussed. 
2.  It  was  suggested  that  a bi-weekly  steamer  from 
Tuticorin  and  a weekly  steamer  from  Negapatam 
should  be  run  on  fixed  dates  by  the  British  India  Steam 
Navigation  Company  to  Colombo,  and  vice  versa,  and 
that  through  tickets  le  issued  tn  cover  the  service  from 
the  principal  Stations  on  the  South  Indian  Railway 
Company  to  any  Station  on  the  Oevlou  system  of 
Railways  and  vice  versa.  This  Service  to  include  the 
putting  on  board  of  the  Coolies  at  starting  port  and 
the  landing  of  them  at  port  of  destination.  The  con- 
tracting parties  to  give  notice  that  they  cannot  take  re- 
sponsibility for  any  detention  to  passengers  caused 
by  quarantine  regulations  or  other  unavoidable 
reasons. 
3.  The  Railway  arid  Steam  Companies  will  do  their 
best  to  protect  and  see  the  ooolies  are  well  treated 
eu  route. 
4.  An  arrangement  to  be  made  for  the  settlement 
of  accounts  monthly  between  the  two  Railway  ad- 
ministrations and  the  British  India  Steam  Navigation 
Company. 
5.  This  through  service  to  be  confined  tothe“Amra” 
and  “Aska”  steamers  which  have  been  specially  built 
for  this  traffic.  If  this  system  ot  through  booking 
proves  successful  the  question  of  extending  it  for  let 
and  2nd  Class  traffic  will  be  considered. 
6.  It  is  considered  desirable  that  a tri-weekly  service 
between  Tuticorin  and  Colombo  should  he  introduced 
for  the  sake  ot  improving  the  movement  of  traffic; 
but  Mr,  Mactaggart  represented  that  it  would  be  ne- 
cessary in  the  event  of  such  a service  being  organised 
that  some  inducement  in  the  shape, of  a subsidy  for 
the  carriage  of  mails  by  these  small  steamers  should 
bo  offered  to  the  British  India  Steam  Navigation 
Company. 
7.  A strong  representation  to  be  mads  to  both  the 
Governments  of  Madras  and  Ceylon  that  the  route 
via  Tuticorin  should  be  utilized  for  the  conveyance  of 
all  mails  between  the  two  countries;  bs  Colombo  is 
now  an  important  centre  the  improvement  of  iho 
service  between  that  port  and  Tuticorin  would  serve 
both  the  public  and  the  postal  autimrites. 
8.  Mr.  Mactaggart  on  behalf  of  the  British  Steam 
Navigation  Company  pointed  oat  that  if  the  service 
has  to  be  maintained  with  any  degree  of  regularity, 
it  will  be  necessary  that  the  present  stringent  quaran- 
tine regulations  at  Ceylon  ports  should  be  modified. 
9.  The  introduction  of  this  proposed  system  of  through 
booking  &o.,  to  be  contingent  upon  the  approval  of  the 
Oeylon  Government,  and  of  the  Planters’  Association 
Managing  Agents  of  the  British  India  Steam  Navigation 
Company. 
(Signed)  William  S.  Bbttj,  Edward  J.  Young  and 
H.  B.  Mactaggart. 
AgoDts’  Office,  Triobinoply,  19th  Feb.  1892. 
(True  Copy.) 
Copy. 
MEMORANDUM  FOR  CEYLON  GOVERNMENT  BY  M6SSRS. 
ADAMSON,  J1CTAGGART  & CO.,  AGENTS  FOR  B.  I.  6.  N. 
CO.,  AT  NEGAPATAM  AND  TONDI. 
The  action  taken  by  the  Negapatam  AgeDtsincon- 
nectiin  with  the  Correspondence  with  the  Ceylon  Go- 
vernment regarding  the  Bil.s  of  Health,  has  been  to 
stop  shipment  of  passengers  from  Negapatam,  Tondi, 
and  Pamban,  to  Ceylon  ports,  whenever  a death  from 
cholera  takes  place;  as  the  Port  Surgeons  at  ports  of  de- 
stination hold  to  themselvts  the  right  of  judging  whether 
the  pons  of  shipment  has  cholera  in  a eporadio  or 
epidemio  form  irrespective  of  the  statement  in  the 
Bills  of  Health.  The  consequence  of  this  policy  has 
teen  the  shutting  out  of  hundreds  of  passengers  every 
week  throughout  the  year  1891,  end  these  passengers 
have  found  their  way  to  other  colonies  where  no  such 
absurd  res'riotions  are  in  foroe. 
On  several  occasions  when  cholera  existed  here  in  a 
sporadic  form  only,  passengers  at  great  inconvenience 
and  expense  to  themselves  aud  loss  of  time  and  money 
to  ihe  vessel  have  gone  to  Northern  ports  (which  were 
not  infected)  by  road  or  rail  for  embarkation. 
The  Surgeon  at  Kangasan'ori  is  unnessarily  strict 
in  the  observance  of  quarantine  regulations  and  has 
practically  stopped  the  flow  of  passengers  from  Nega- 
patam to  North  of  Ceylon  during  the  year  1891  on 
this  account.  He  also  causes  unnecessary  detentions 
when  a vessel  arrives  in  port  late  in  the  afternoon 
by  refusing  to  go  on  board  if  it  is  near  6 p.m.  or  a 
little  after  that  hour,  saying  “he  is  not  called  upon 
to  embark  after  G pm”  The  consequence  in  such 
cases  is  that  the  vessel  has  to  remain  till  the  next 
morning  and  thereby  loses  a day  and  falls  out  cf 
the  regulated  sailings  from  other  ports. 
(Signed)  A.  Me.  & Co- 
Negapatam,  15th  Feb.  1892. 
MEMORANDUM  QUARANTINE  RULES  AT  NEGAPATAM  BY 
JOHN  CARSON,  MASTER  S.  S.  “NAWAB.” 
The  Quarantine  regulations  enforced  at  the  Ports 
of  Colombo  and  Galle  are  very  restrictive  and  lead  to 
great  iuconvenience  and  loss  of  time. 
These  remarks  apply  in  a great  measure  to  voyages 
from  the  Port  of  Negapatam  to  Galle  and  Colombo. 
I have  only  once  been  detained  from  Tuticorin  to 
Colombo,  as  follows  from  my  log July  4th,  1890, 
left  Tuticorin  for  Colombo,  July  5th  arrived  at 
Colombo,  7 a.m.,  put  into  quarantine,  aDd  7.  a.m., 
July  6th  taken  into  a berth  and  coolies  removed  on 
shore.  No  sickness  whatsoever  amoDgst  them  only  a 
foul  bill  of  health.  Left  Monday,  July  the  7th  for 
Galle  at  7.  a.m.,  so  we  have  lost  two  clear  days.” — 
This  has  never  occurred  since  from  Tuticorin. 
When  we  have  had  foul  bills  of  health  from  Nega- 
patam, I have  invariably  slowed  down  so  as  not  to 
arrive  at  Galle  before  the  prescribed  time  of  72  hours 
and  thus  saved  detention,  but  at  a loss  of  two  days 
to  the  steamer.  I preferred  being  at  sea  to  detentiou 
in  Port.  t 
I have  been  in  the  habi  of  oalling  at  the  various 
Coast  Ports  for  past  20  years,  and  have  never  ex- 
perienced any  delay  through  quarantine  regulations  at 
any  of  the  Indian  ports  similar  to  that  of  Ceylon  and 
think  these  regulations  should  be  considerably  modi- 
fied, if  not  done  away  with  altogether,  excepting  in 
case  of  a serious  outbreak 
During  all  the  years  I have  been  trading  to  these 
Indian  and  Ceylon  Ports  I have  never  had  a single 
case  of  cholera  on  board.  I may  point  out  that  when  a 
clean  bill  of  health  has  been  unprocurable  at  Nega- 
patam, I have  in  some  cases  proceeded  to  Karikal,  9 
miles  further  up  the  Coast  and  shipped  and  gota  clean 
bill  of  health.  This  clearly  shows  the  nonsense  o f th  e 
rules  enforced  at  Ceylon. 
(Signed)  John  Carson, 
March  18th,  1892.  Master  S,  S.  “ Nawab.” 
