53* 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  i,  1893. 
the  coast  of  the  mainland  and  among  the  islands. 
Sir  Wm.  Macgvegor  is  a qualified  M,D.,  so  that  he 
can  be  listened  to  with  respect  in  regard  to 
“ health  — 
With  the  exception  of  fever  the  oountry  is  remark- 
ably free  from  disease  of  a serious  kind.  But  for  fever 
the  country  would  be  a very  healthy  one  for  Europeans  ; 
and  the  fever  is  not  nearly  so  severe  as  is  generally 
supposed,  “Old  hands”  beoome  acclimatised,  and, 
as  a rule,  suffer  from  only  mild  attacks  that  speedily 
pass  off.  Its  great  characteristic  is  uncertainty.  Fre- 
quently it  does  not  follow  the  greatest  exposure  to 
cold,  wet,  heat,  or  travelling  and  sleeping  in  man- 
grove country ; at  other  timns  it  arrives  under 
apparently  favourable  sanitary  conditions.  It  begins 
with  a feeling  of  cold  and  uneasiness,  with  headache 
and  lumbar  pain9,  until  the  sufferer  begins  to 
perspire,  when  there  is  almost  instant  relief.  In  many 
oases  a man  will  take  his  breakfast,  will  be  down  with 
fever  at  noon,  and  will  meet  the  muster  roll  for 
duty  next  morning.  In  other  cases,  especially  in  new 
arrivals,  it  remains  persistent  and  is  attended  with  much 
prostration,  which,  in  certain  persons,  requires  a 
chaDge  of  climate  for  a few  months.  These  persistent 
oases  are  dangerous  to  those  that  cannot  tolerate 
quinine.  Iu  the  great  majority  of  cases  the  fever  is 
well  controlled  by  quinine  and  antifebrine,  but  the 
number  of  people  that  cannot  take  quinine  seems  to 
be  considerable.  Natives  suffer  from  occasional  mild 
attacks  of  fever ; but  they  are  soon  over.  The  con- 
gestion of  the  internal  organs  during  an  attack  of 
fever  causes  distress  to  Europeans,  aud  might  be  a 
serious  matter  to  anyone  with  organic  disease  of  the 
chest,  liver,  or  kidneys.  The  most  predisposing  cause 
of  fever  is  exposure  to  a cold  wiua  when  one  is 
perspiring  ; next  aome  great  fatigue  and  exposure  to 
the  direct  rays  of  the  burning  sun.  By  reasonable 
care  and  by  taking  appropriate  remedies  whenever 
fever  threatens,  the  danger  from  it  to  a person  actively 
employed  and  otherwise  healthy  is  not  at  all  great. 
We  may  repeat  here,  that  we  do  not  know  a 
Governor  or  Administrator  in  the  whole  Colonial 
Service  under  whom  it  would  be  a greater  pri- 
vilege for  planters  of  the  right  stamp  to  pioneer 
and  settle,  than  Sir  Wm.  Macgregor.  He 
would  be  certain  to  appreciate  good,  honest, 
practical  work,  and  to  make  full  allowance  for 
the  difficulties  incidental  to  the  commencement  of 
industry  on  a big  soale  in  a new  country.  If  any 
Ceylon  planters,  with  some  capital,  turn  their  at- 
tention to  New  Guinea,  to  try  coffee  or  coconut 
palms,  we  feel  sure  that  Sir  William  will  welcome 
and  officially  aid  them  as  far  as  possible  in  their 
start.  We  now  prooeed  to  quote  further  from  his 
little  Guide  and  here  are  important  items  in  respect 
of  Food  and  Sport  : — 
There  are  in  the  Possession  some  two  dozen  horses 
and,  perhaps,  about  fifty  cattle.  Sheep  have  not 
been  much  tried,  bat  they  appear  to  suffer  from 
spare  grass.  Pigs  thrive  well,  end  are  probably  indi- 
genous. The  native  pig  is  a handsome,  intelligent, 
active  animal,  which  largely  provides  for  itself.  It 
wool!  probably,  if  crossed  with  more  fleshy  kinds, 
produce  a very  superior  swine.  Fowls  seem  free  of 
disease  of  any  kind,  and  do  well  if  protected  from 
mosquitoes  during  the  hot  season,  and  if  guarded 
from  native  dogs,  oarpet  snakes,  and  lizards. 
The  list  of  game  procurable  in  the  Colony  is  a 
varied  one,  comprising  wild  swine,  wallaby,  and 
the  never-failing  crocodile.  Among  birds  there  are 
the  cassowary,  goura  pigeon,  hornbill,  geese,  ducks, 
and  smaller  water  fowl.  There  are  a great  many 
varieties  of  pigeons.  Scrub  fowl  and  turkey  are  to 
be  found  everywhere.  There  are  many  birds  that 
are  more  of  interest  to  the  naturalist  than  to  the  sports- 
man, such  for  example  as  the  Birds  of  Paradise. 
No  doubt  there  are  many  birds  in  the  country  still 
unknown  to  soieuce.  But  although  game  may  be 
abundant,  one  may,  on  account  of  the  difficult  nature 
of  the  oountry,  make  ouly  a poor  bag  after  hard  work. 
Fishing  has  not  been  much  tried,  and  does  not  seem 
to  be  very  encouraging. 
But  of  still  more  consequence  to  the  intending 
planter  are  the  rubs  about  “ Land  and  Labour  — 
The  Government  may  sell  Crown  land  by  private 
bargain  or  by  public  auctiou.  If  Crown  land  is  sold 
by  the  Government  by  private  bargain  on  the  con- 
dition that  the  purchaser  shall  introduce  some  new 
iudu9try  in  cultivating  the  laud,  aud  shall  carry  out 
some  specified  extent  of  improvement  within  a given 
time,  the  prioeof  the  land  alienated  may  be  as  low  as 
two  shillings  and  sixpence  au  acre.  If  no  conditions  as 
to  improvements  are  imposed,  the  price  to  be  paid  for 
land  cannot  be  less  an  acre  than — 
(1)  For  agricultural  laud,  10s. ; 
(2)  For  pastoral  laud,  2s. ; 
(3)  For  land  for  trading  or  fishing  purposes,  £5  ; 
( ) For  land  for  the  planting  of  coconuts,  5s. 
Land  ia  parcels  not  exceeding  50  acres  can  be  pur- 
chased at  £1  an  acre,  this  payment  being  made  in  in- 
stalments extending  over  a period  of  five  years. 
Crown  lands,  or  land  iu  which  the  Crown  possesses 
a leasehold  in.erest,  can  be  leased  to  applioams  by  the 
Government.  If  uo  improvement  conditions  are  at- 
tached to  a lease  of  agricultural  land,  the  annual  rent 
cauuot  be  less  than  Is.  au  acre  ; if  the  land  is  leased 
subject  to  improvement  conditions,  no  rent  may  be 
payable  for  three  years,  but  after  that  period  the  mi- 
nimum rent  would  te  6d  an  acre.  Leases  may  also  be 
granted  with  a purchasing  clause. 
Land  suitable  for  planting  coconut  trees  may  be 
leased  for  sixty  years.  No  rent  may  be  payable  for  the 
first  five  years,  but  for  the  next  five  years  it  cannot  be 
less  than  6d  an  acre,  and  for  the  remainder  of  the 
lease  not  less  than  Is  an  acre  each  year. 
To  a person  thinking  of  taking  up  land  in  the  Pos 
session,  the  best  course  would  be  to  visit  the  country- 
aud  see  what  unoccupied  land  would  suit  best  the  par, 
ticular  industry  be  tus  in  view.  As  already  pointed 
our,  it  would  be  futile  to  choose  land  that  13  occupied 
by  natives  ; but,  as  the  Government  is  extremely  an- 
xious to  have  all  lauds  now  lying  idle  turned  to  some 
useful  purpose,  and  to  procure  employment  for  the 
native  population  iu  their  own  country,  and  that  the 
latter shoulJ  learn  to  become  producers  on  their  own 
account  of  articles  for  export,  all  legal  means  will  be 
used  by  the  Government  to  procure  for  an  agricultural 
settler  the  laud  he  may  desire  to  possess. 
There  is  a very  great  variety  of  soil  in  the  Posses- 
sion, but  of  the  quality  of  the  land  chosen  by  an  in- 
tending settler  he  should  satisfy  himself  on  the  spot, 
and  he  must  take  on  himself  the  sole  responsibility  of 
judging  whether  any  given  place  is  suitable  for  his 
special  purpose.  There  are  flat  alluvial  river  lands 
suitable  for  rubber  growing  ; flat,  wet,  marshy  land  fit 
fur  planting  wet  rice:  river  bottom  land,  fit  for  growing 
sugar-cane  or  ma'zo  ; hilly  country  of  brown  soil  ou 
limestone  conglomerate  aud  slate,  suitable  for  growing 
coffee  and  tea;  and  there  are  fine  forest  patches  fox 
large  shady  trees  on  rich  soil,  well  adapted  for  vanilla, 
cocoa,  &c.,  &c. 
It  may,  perhaps,  be  considered  that  the  indige- 
nous products  give  trustworthy  indication  as  to  what 
might  be  cultivated  in  the  Possession.  Amongst 
food  articles  the  natives  cultivate  a great  many 
different  varieties  of  yams,  as  many  as  three  dozen 
kinds  being  sometimes  used  by  one  large  tribe ; 
different  varieties  of  taro  and  of  sweet  potatoes  ; aud 
very  maDy  different  kinds  of  bananas,  some  of  whioh 
are  of  decidedly  superior  quality.  Sago  grows  in  the 
swamps  ail  over  the  Possession,  and  is  used  every  where, 
mo>e  or  less,  as  an  article  of  diet.  In  some  districts 
maize  is  coming  much  into  use.  Beans  seem  to  be  in- 
digenous. Iu  some  districts  the  pineapple  is  domesti- 
cated, aud  is  of ‘excellent  flavour.  The  papaya  is 
ubiquitous,  but  not  indigenous.  The  orange  family  has 
onls  very  poor  indigenous  representatives,  but  the  in- 
troduced trees  do  remarkably  well.  Coffee  seeds  and 
plants  have  been  obtained  free  from  disease,  aDd  tbeir 
importation  from  places  infected  with  “coffee-leaf 
disease”  will  now  be  prohibited.  Thera  is  a native 
ginger  of  very  strong  flavour,  aB  yet  untried,  which 
will  probably  be  found  lo  be  ol  commercial  value ; East 
