t)EfJ. 1, 1902.] THE TEOPICAt 
A.GRICULTURIST. 
Zarube^i by the Chinde month. This opened up 
a direct waterway to the Shire district?, and dis- 
posed of the great obstacle to tlie deveh)i)nient 
of the country caused by its only means of approach 
being through Portuguese territory. In the spring 
of 1891 a British protectorate was proclaimed 
over the countries adjoining Lake Nyasa, and 
the Protectorate of ISyasaland was instituted. 
In February 1893, the name of tiie protectorate 
was clianged to the British Central Africa Pro- 
tectorate, which this company had been formed 
for the purpose of developing by establishing 
through communication by water and rail between-' 
Chinde and the Central African lakes region and 
by developing the planting and mining industries, 
and British trade generally, within the protec- 
torate. In British Central Africa they were 
not dealing with the raw uncivilized country 
one usually associated with the words "Central 
Africa" hut with one which possessed a properly 
organized civil administration, with its post and 
telegraph, judicial, medical, scientific, and survey 
departments, and regularly organized military 
forces. How important the question of a railway 
was to the commercial development of the country 
was evidenced by Mr. Commissioner Sharpe's 
official report to the Foreign Office for the year 
1900-1901, from which he quoted. From Chinde 
at the mouth of the Zambesi to the north end of 
Lake Nyasa was approximately 800 miles. For 
600 miles there, was a waterway upon which 
steamers were regularly plying — from Chinde to 
Chiromo 250 miles, and from the south end of 
Lake Nyasa to the north end 350 miles ; but the 
whole utility of the route practically depended 
on the facilities for carriage over the connecting 
link of 200 miles between Chiromo and Lake 
Nyasa. At present the traffic over this connecting 
link was mainly dependent on native porters, and 
the traffic north of Chiromo was practically limited 
to what they could carry. In addition to pro- 
viding for the wants of the protectorate and the 
rapidly increasing demands of the mineral dis- 
tricts of North-Eastern Rhodesia, &c., 
THE RAILWAY 
would have to carry the wlmle trade of tlie 
Nyaaaland regions, including that from German 
East Africa, which found its outlet at Langen- 
berg at the north end of the lake ; and the 
easiest and cheapest route even to lake Tan- 
ganyika, was undoubtedly by the Shire and 
Lake Nyasa. Existing means of transport had 
been utilised to their utmost limit, and the 
further development of the districts in question 
was absolutely dependent on the construction of 
a railway. His Majesty's Government being 
convinced of this face, had agreed to grant to 
the Sliire Highlands Railway Company (a subsi- 
diary company of this company) a concession for 
the construction and working of a railway from 
Chiromo, via Zoa and the Cholo plateau to 
Blautyre, and thereafter northwards to a point 
completing the connexion with Lake Nyasa. The 
British South Africa Company also realizing the 
urgent necessity for this railway and the great 
assistance it would be in the development of their 
lands in Nyasaland and North-Eastern Rhodesia 
had assured this company of their support, in 
connexion with which negotiations v ere proceed- 
ing. The company would enter into an agree- 
ment with the Shiie Highlands Railway Com- 
pany to construct and equip the first section of 
the line at a certain sum per mile to be paid 
in debentures and ordinary shares of the railway 
company, together with the land grant received 
from the Bntisli Government. In ovdnr to pro- 
vide the necessary funds for this purpose it was 
proposed to make an is^ue of debentures of the 
British Central Africa Company at an early 
date. The company had aUo acquired as a going 
concern, Sharrer's Zambezi Traffic Company, 
which had been operatinjr in the district since 
1894 with satisfactory financial results. When 
railway connexion was made with Lake Nyasa, 
their company would be in a position to quote 
reduced through rates and fares, between London 
and all stations on the whole of the route to the 
north end of the lake. The line was the connect- 
ing link of a through service from the coast to 
the north end of Lake Nyasa, a distance of over 
80 J miles. This service would practically control 
the whole of the carrying trade tor the Nyasaland 
regions, The company had further acquired the 
Nyasaland estates comprising about 372,000 acres 
of freeliold laud, a considerable portion of which 
had already been laid out in plantations, from 
which "maiden" crops of coffee had already been 
received. The land was not only suitable for 
cofiee, but also for cotton and tobacco. The only 
obstacle to the development of these industries 
were want of labour and proper transport facilities 
and these would be provided for by the railway. 
For many miles of its route the line from Chiromo 
to Blantyre would pass through the company's 
estates. In addition to the Nyasaland estates 
they would possess the land granted by the British 
Government in return for the construction of the 
first section of the rail way— about 265,000 acres. 
A considerable proportion of this land was also 
in close proximity to the railway. The company 
had acquired the properties referred to for fully- 
paid ordinary shares, so that their debentures 
when issued would be a first charge, not only 
upon the railway that had to be constructed, but 
also upon the entire assets of the company. In 
acknowledging a vote of thanks, the chairman 
stated that 900 of the Central Africa Ritles who 
came from the protectorate were going to Somali- 
land with the relief expeilition. — London Times, 
November 1, 
LONDON TEA CHARGES. 
A meetins' of the Tea Cleaiiiig House has been 
held this week, at which it was decided to endeav- 
our to arrange a conference with the trade with a 
view to the settlement of the point at issue. ' The 
trade, having unanimously a«ked for the with- 
drawal of the boycotting clause, will probably,' 
says the Produce Market Review, 'only consent to 
discuss other matters after that is out of the way, 
but apart from this there is a great deal that can 
be done by mutual and friendly discussion. The 
following rough estimate of the London tea charges 
in the course of a year shows the great importance 
of the issues to our tea growers, for a burden of 
some £350,000 a year is a heavy one for an 
unprosperous industry. It is a small detail 
in such an amount, but the charge entailed 
by weight notes is worse than useless, as it 
complicates matters unnecessarily, and leads 
to a lot of useless labour. The warrants 
issued are also far too numerous, and a reduction 
in their number, by putting more packages on 
each, would eifect a reduction in the stamp charges 
and would l">be .otlierwisa useful. ^Bulking and 
separate taringTare heavy charges thatjmight be 
avoided, as we have urged for many years. The 
