Feb.  i,  1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
533 
Indian  ginger  has  also  been  introduced.  Rice  has  been 
shown  to  thrive  remarkably  well.  As  the  Possession 
has  almost  all  varieties  of  sail,  and  elevations  varying 
from  sea-level  to  13,000  f et,  it  may,  perhaps,  be 
assumed  that  the  country,  extending  as  it  does  from 
the  fifth  to  the  twelfth  degree  of  south  latitude,  could 
be  made  to  grow  any  tropical  product.  Tobacco  and 
6Ugar-cane  require  special  remark.  If  tobacco  is  not 
indigenous  to  the  country,  it  has  been  cultivated  there 
for  so  loDg  that  for  all  practical  purposes  it  may  be 
considered  to  be  so.  It  ba3  been  found  growing  on  the 
spurs  of  the  Owen  Stanley  Range,  and  on  the  Fly 
River,  at  over  500  miles  from  the  s-a.  It  is  cultivated, 
ai  far  as  oan  be  seeD,  by  all  agricultural  tribes.  It 
varies  so  little  in  appearance  wherever  grown  that  it  is 
probably  all  of  one  species  or  variety.  The  ltafis  very 
remarkable  on  account  of  its  small  s'ze.  It  has  been 
pronounced  by  London  experts  to  be  of  great  value. 
It  grows  so  readily  as  to  be  rather  troublesome  as  a 
weed  at  the  Government  Station  of  Mekeo. 
Perhaps  every  tribe  in  the  Possession  that  plant 
anything  cultivates  a certain  amouut  of  sugar-cane. 
Of  this  there  are  many  varieties,  of  widely  diffeient 
S Z3  and  colour.  Individual  canes  are  often  met  with 
that  have  been  to  some  extent  attacked  by  a boriug 
iusect;  but  no  other  disease  has  been  notioed  in  it 
It  may  be  regarded  as  being  indigenous. 
It  may  be  that  the  future  of  the  Possession  will 
depend  as  much  on  the  coconut  as  on  any  other 
product.  It  would  appear  that,  if  it  is  possible  to  grow' 
the  coconut  at  a profit  iu  any  country,  it  should 
pay  well  in  British  New  Guinea.  Nowhere  does  this 
tree  bear  more  fruitfully  than  it  does  in  many  of  the 
districts  of  the  Possession.  There  are  already  large 
groves  of  it  in  the  country,  sufficient  to  provide  copra 
for  direct  shipment  to  Europe.  There  are  l ing  stretches 
of  coast  line  and  river  bank  suitable  for  this  cultiva- 
tion and  available  to  the  European  settler.  As  hurri- 
canes are  unknown  in  the  Possession,  tho  coconut 
planter  oould  depend  on  a continuous  yield  ; and  this 
most  important  point,  together  with  the  productiveness 
of  the  tree  and  the  ch  apneis  of  local  labour,  ought 
to  mike  this  cultivation  a most  attractive  industry 
for  a man  with  some  cipital.  It  is  an  industry  that 
would  be  specially  suitable  for  a man  that  would 
at  the  tame  time  £Lh  for  pearl-shell,  and  trade  in 
copra,  heche-de-mer,  and  other  native  products,  British 
Now  Guinea  is  not  a pastoral  country.  The  greater 
portion  of  its  area  is  covered  by  a grassle6s  forest. 
Thera  are  some  limestone  low  hills  iu  the  Central 
and  other  districts  covtred  by  soft  grass,  but  this  ia 
exceptional.  The  native  tribes  ore  too  numerous,  their 
cultivation  too  great  and  too  widely  distributed,  to 
permit  of  the  existence  of  large  cattle  runs.  It  is 
essentially  an  agricultnral  oountry. 
Then  as  to  “ Labour  — 
The  employment  cf  native  labourers  is  regulated  by 
“ The  Native  Labour  Ordinance  of  1892,”  which  will 
be  found  on  pages  20-31.  Natives  cannot  be  removed 
from  th6  Possession  except  under  such  circumstances 
as  are  specially  mentioned  in  that  Ordinance.  They 
can  be  engaged  orally  by  an  employer  for  periods  not 
exceeding  one  month,  provided  that  the  natives  are 
not  employed  ashore  or  all  rat  at  a greater  distance 
than  twenty-five  miles  from  their  homo. 
They  must  be  engaged  before  a magistrate  if  the 
period  of  engagement  exceeds  a month,  or  if  they 
are  to  work  at  any  place  more  than  twenty-five  miles 
from  homo.  Natives  may  be  engaged  before  a magis- 
Irite  in  any  part  of  the  Possession,  to  work  in  any 
other  part. 
Women  cannot  be  engaged t 5 work  on  board  vessels. 
Persons  not  having  a residence  or  place  of  business  in 
the  Possession  cannot  engage  native  labourers  before  a 
magistrate.  The  greatest  period  for  which  natives  cau 
be  engaged  as  labourers  under  engagement  13  twelve 
months. 
Natives  employed  by  the  Government  receive  the 
first  year  10s  a month  in  trade  goods  or  money,  and 
are  “ found.”  After  the  first  year  they  receive  £1  a 
month.  They  have  been  employed  to  do  plantation 
work  for  private  employers,  at  the  eighth  of  a pound 
of  tobacoo  a day,  with  food.  The  tobaooo  would  cost 
about  2s  3d  to  2s  6d  a pound. 
They  appear  to  work  well  and  faithfully,  as  a rule. 
They  are  easily  managed,  being  as  employees  dooile, 
and  decidedly  sharp.  They  are  remarkably  good- 
natured.  Quarrels  very  seldom  occur  among  those 
employed  by  the  Government,  although  members  of 
many  formerly  hostile  tribes  are  brought  together. 
Naturally,  largo  numbers  of  them  are  addicted  to 
steeling  and  Ling;  but  many  tribes  are  remarkably 
honest.  On  the  whole,  they  are  a mild  and  timid 
race,  without  aDy  inherent  disposition  t<  wards  war 
and  bloodshed. 
We  must  not  quote  any  more  save  the  ‘ Ex- 
ports — 
The  principal  exports  for  the  year  last  past  wore — 
Copra  ...  ...  340  tons. 
Beche  de-mer  ...  ...  50  tons. 
Gum  ...  •••  13  tons. 
Pearl-shell  ...  ...  18  tons. 
Turtle-shell  ...  ...  613  lb. 
Sandalwood  ...  ...  42  tons. 
The  natives  begin  in  some  districts  to  prepare  copra 
themselves.  They  have  collcoted  nearly  ail,  if  not  all, 
the  b&ohe-de-mer,  gum,  turtle-shell,  and  sandalwood 
that  was  exported.  A great  many  coconuts  that  oould 
be  made  into  copra  are  not  utilised  jet.  Many  other 
articles  will  be  added  to  the  above  list  of  exports  as 
settlement  progresses. 
The  rainfall  seems  to  range  from  53  to  113  inches. 
It  is  quite  clear  that  British  New  Guinea,  with 
its  proximity  to  the  Australian  market,  offers  many 
attractions  to  the  intending  tropical  planter — 
indeed  for  the  pioneer  with  some  capital  it  is 
possible  that  it  may  be  preferable  to  East  Africa, 
Mexico  or  even  Java.  We  oan  spare  one  or  two 
copies  of  the  pamphlet  to  any  persons  specially 
interested. 
STAPLE  EXPORTS  FROM  CEYLON  FOR 
TEN  YEARS. 
(The  Chamber  of  Commerce  Returns.) 
Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  in  sending  us  early  oopies 
of  the  annual  tables  compiled  in  his  office,  we 
are  enabled  to  offer  soma  remarks  on  the  results. 
We  are  also  fortunately  able  to  give  the  Review 
of  our  Special  Planting  Correspondent  for  the 
past  year  in  respect  of  certain  estate  staples, 
amending  his  figures  to  correspond  with  the 
Chamber's  return.  Of  oourse  it  will  be  remem- 
bered that  in  the  latter  return,  only  Exports  for  the 
two  ports  of  Colombo  and  Galle  are  taken  into 
account ; but  as  a matter  of  fact  from  these  alone 
are  our  principal  products  sent  across  the  seas. 
At  the  same  time  there  will  always  be  a difference 
between  the  Customs’  and  the  Chamber’s  returns 
for  the  calender  years,  for  this  reason.  The 
Customs  eaters  in  its  Export  return  every  ship- 
ment as  it  passes  on  board  vessels  in  the  harbour 
and  on  31st  Dcoember  has  in  its  total  a good 
deal  of  produce  that  has  not  left  our  harbour; 
while  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  makes  no  entry 
in  its  Export  return  until  the  vessel  has  oloared 
and  left  our  shores.  We  published  the  total  of 
our  chief  Exports  for  1892  acoording  to  the 
Customs’  figures  on  the  5th  rest.  and  it  will  be 
interesting  here  to  compare  the  same  with  the 
Exports  as  given  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
thus  : — 
Staple  Exports  from  Ceylon  during  1892. 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  Customs.  Difference. 
Tea  lb.  71,153,657  71,809,465  655,808 
Coffee  cwt.  43,143  43,232  89 
Cocoa  ewt.  17,327  19,174  1,S47 
Cinchona  Bahk  lb.  6,793,32.0  6,846,741  53,421 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  in  each  case  rhe  Cmt.,ms’ 
returns  are  in  excess  of  those  compiled  by  the 
Chamber,  though  the  difference  is  but  trifling  in 
1 respect  of  oofiee  and  oinohona,  nor  iu  tea  is  it  very 
