578 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  i,  1893. 
hold  shares  in  Cacao  properties,  and  we  should 
soon  find  drastio  measures  adopted  to  detect  or 
prevent  theft  1 
In  the  robbery  of  E250  worth  of  clothes  stolen 
from  my  bungalow  in  September  1892,  not  a single 
trace  of  blazers,  handkerohiefs,  tennis  flannels, 
dress  suits  &o.,  has  been  found. 
In  January  1892  one  of  my  Tamil  watchmen  on 
Eria  gastenne  was  shot  dead  while  watching,  and  as 
his  money  and  silver  chain  were  left  on  him,  one 
may  reasonably  conclude  that  vengeance  was  the 
motive  of  the  deed.  The  murderer  has  not  been 
brought  to  justice  yet ! I unhesitatingly  assert  that 
if  headmen  were  kept  up  to  their  duties  crime 
would  more  oftener  be  detected  and  oulprits  brought 
to  justice.  The  police  alone  are  not  to  blame. 
But  special  legislation  is  required  at  once.— Yours 
truly,  CHAS.  GIBBON. 
EMIGRATION  OF  SINHALESE. 
Jan.  26th. 
Dear  Sib, — In  your  Notes  and  Comments  in  yes- 
terdy’s  issue  you  remark  : “ There  is  something 
anomalous  in  a Ceylon  planter  trying  to  send  Sinha- 
les9  to  East  Africa  while  there  is  plenty  of  work 
here  if  they  would  only  do  it." 
As  the  question  of  emigration  is  still  sub  judice, 
I am  not  at  liberty  to  enter  yet  into  details,  and 
now  write  merely  to  remove  the  impression  that 
your  note  might  make,  that  I have  an  interest  in 
promoting  the  emigration  of  Sinhalese  labourers. 
This  impression  is  altogether  incorreot. 
My  endeavours  were  in  the  fhst  instance  made  to 
obtain  Tamil  labour  for  service  in  East  Afrioa,  but 
owing  to  a misunderstanding  of  looal  Ordinances,  it 
was  found  impossible  without  reference  to  the  Go- 
vernment of  India.  There  was  no  intention  of 
taking  coolies  from  any  district  in  Southern  India 
from  which  Ceylon  obtains  its  present  supply  of 
labour,  so  that  the  proposal  need  not  have  caused 
RDy  anxiety  either  to  the  looal  Government  or  to 
Ceylon  planters. 
As  regards  the  emigration  of  Sinhalese  coolies 
I fully  agree  with  you  that  there  is  plenty  of  work 
for  them  in  the  island,  if  they  would  only  do  it. 
But  iu  many  districts  it  would  seem  that  they  prefer 
a life  of  semi-starvation  to  regular  work  on  the 
estates.  It  is  hard  to  say  what  the  reason  is,  but  it 
cannot  be  due  to  want  of  advertisement  by  local 
employers  of  labour ; because  I have,  without  issu- 
ing any  notification  whatever,  been  inundated  with 
applications  for  employment  in  Africa,  and  this  in 
spite  of  the  warnings  of  numerous  headmen,  recently 
circulated  against  the  dangers  of  enormous  snakes, 
cannibals  and  other  wild  beasts. 
One  explanation  of  this  anxiety  for  emigrating 
ooours  to  me ; but  it  is  not  expedient  just  now  to 
refer  to  it.— Yours  faithfully.  B. 
RAINFALL  IN  AGRAPATANAS. 
Toriington,  Agrapatanas,  Jan.  28. 
Dear  Sir — I send  you  herewith  the  rainfall  re- 
cords of  these  estates  for  the  past  15  years,  show- 
ing an  average  annual  fall  of  111*12  inches  (eleva- 
tion about  6,000  feet). 
As  you  will  see  1891  stands  out  as  a year  of 
excessive  fall ; the  rainiest  year  of  the  whole  15 
recorded.  1892  is  notable  for  the  unseasonable 
manner  in  whioh  rain  fell,  as  you  will  see  from 
the  following  figures:— 
* Average  of 
Rainfall  1892.  15  years. 
Jan. -February  = 14*15  in  6*51  in. 
March-June  = 21'20  „ 41*04  ,, 
July-October  70*79  ,,  46*97  „ 
—Yours  faithfully,  A.  ROSSI  ASHTON. 
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TWO  NEW  MINERALS  FOUND  IN 
CEYLON. 
Binoya,  Ambagamuwa,  Jan.  27th. 
Dear  Sir, — I am  sending  you  by  this  post  a 
oopy  cf  “ Natural  Scienoe  ” for  December  in 
whioh  there  is  mention  of  two  new  minerals  whioh 
have  been  found  in  Ceylon,  and  whioh  will  perhaps 
be  of  interest  to  you  and  some  of  your  readers. — 
Yours  etc,,  0.  C. 
A new  mineral  named  Geikielite,  in  compliment 
to  Sir  Archibald  Geikie,  has  lately  been  described 
b efore  the  Mineralogical  Society  by  Mr.  Allan  Dick. 
In  composition  the  mineral  is  a magnesian  titanite, 
and  it  was  brought  from  Rakwana,  in  Ceylon,  by 
Mr.  J.  Baddeley.  It  was  found  in  the  form  of  a 
pebble,  and  was  taken,  with  a number  of  other 
pebbles,  to  the  Museum  at  Jermyn  Street,  and  sub- 
mitted to  Mr.  A.  Pringle  for  examination.  The 
