June 1, 19Q0.] THE TEOPICAL AGEICULTURIST. 
England on the 16th February last. The execu- 
tors have sent out a Power of Attorney dated 
the 3rd February last in favor of Mr. Alexander 
Caiitlay, of Moiint Vernon Estate, Kotaf;ala, to 
administer the property in Ceylon belonging to 
to the estate of the deceased. The deceased's 
property in Ceylon consists of : — R. 
Mount Vernon Estate in Dimbulji 600,000 
Mortgage executed at Hatton ... 30,000 
Do atGxnipola ... ... 15,000 
Do „ Hatton ... ... 9,750 
Do ,, Nawalapitiya ... 75,000 
Do „ Colombo... ... 6.3,750 
Do „ Kandy ... ... ] 5,000 
Debts due to the Estate ... 1.3,350 
Total R821,850 
lie also stated that according to thf will, the 
estates had to be sold, and debts recovered, and 
after payment of the legacies oitt of the proceeds, 
the balance had to be divided amongst the five 
nephews. He al.so submitted that thou<>h the estate 
was situated, and many of the mortgages were 
executed upcountry, it would be very con- 
venient for the applicant as well as for his 
proctors, to have the testamentary proceedings 
in the Colombo District Court, and he cited 
some precedents, under similar circumstances 
where jurisdiction was conferred on the Colombo 
Court. He submitted an exemplification of the 
will, and an affidavit and petition from the ap- 
plicant. Order was reserved by his lordship. 
THE DRIEST SPOT ON EARTH. 
The reputation of being the driest spot on earth 
is claimed by many spots in many climes. The 
latest claimant says " Siencc Siftings," is Payfca, 
in Peru, a place about five degrees south of the 
equator on the coast that has risen 40 ft. in historic 
times. Professor David G. Fairchild, a lecent 
visitor, reports having reached there in February 
just after a rain of more than 24 hours, the first 
for eight years. The average interval between two 
showers is seven years. Sea fogs are common. Of 
about nine species of plants noted seven were 
annuals, and their seeds must have remained dor- 
mant in the ground for eight years. In spite of the 
lack of rain, the long-rooted Peruvian cotton is 
grown in the dried-up river bed, furnishing crops 
that yield subsistence to the natives. — Globe, 
March 23. 
RDBBER : CONSULAR NOTES, 
HINTS TO MERCHANTS AND TRABKRS FROM 
INFOE.MANTS ABROAD. 
The importance of the rubber in'lustry to the 
State of Para, in Brazil, and tlie extent 
to wliich ic is taxed will be realised wheu ii. 
is remembered that out of a total income of 
£476,000 from the taxtation of export.-^, no 
less than £437,000 is derived from the im- 
posts on the exports of india-rubber. The 
crop of 1S98-99 amounted to 25,374 tons, of 
which 9,839 tons were produced in Para, as 
against 8,919 tons in the previous year ; while 
the total shipments of Amazonian rubber during 
1899 amounted to 25,401 tons, of which 8,954 tons 
were sent to the United Kingdom. According to 
Mr. Clmrchill, the British Consul for the district 
of Para, Belgian capitalists have lately been 
very active in the State. Syndicates have pur- 
chased not only an i.idia-rubber estate, but also 
the goodwill and plant of an electric light com- 
pany, and are in addition negotiating for the 
transfer to them of the tramway system and the 
electric lighting of the city of Para. There are 
now in the State three European companies en- 
gaged in the extraction and export of rubber, one 
onlj' of which is British. It is interesting to note 
that the Belgian Rubber Company was the fist to 
introduce labour into the State from the British 
West Indies. — Financial Times, April 5. 
EXPLORING AND PROSPECTING FOR 
MINERALS, 
A recent Gazette contains miles regulat- 
ing the grantof licenses to explore and pros- 
pect for minerals and the gxant of leases of 
minerals. An exploring license granted by 
the Government Agent allows the holder to 
search the surface of Crown and unoccu- 
pied land and also occupied land with 
the consent of the owner for minerals of 
every description and to remove samples 
or specimens, but it does not authorise him 
to mine or quarry, The license is only for 
a year, but it may be renewed on a fee not 
exceeding RIO, and a royalty, not exceeding 
15 per cent on the va,iue of all precious 
stones found and removed by a licensee will 
have to be paid to the Government, A ' 
prospecting license which will apply to 
Crown land only will enable the holder 
to mine, quarry, and remove any 
mineral found. No such license, however, 
shall be granted, except to a person approved 
by the Governor and security must be given 
to the extent of at least R1,000, which 
•hall be carried to his credit, should the depo- 
sitor afterwards become the lessee of the 
mining lease or be returned to him, should 
he decline or fail to obtain the lease. The 
license shall be granted for one year or such 
shorter term as the applicant may desire, and 
inay be renewed for a further term not ex- 
ceeding two years. A moderate rent, not 
exceeding one rupee per acre will be charged 
for the land covered by the license, and a 
royalty at a rate not exceeding 13 per cent 
be' payable on the value of all precious stones 
at the rate of 10 per cent, on the value of all 
plumbago, and at the rate of 20 per cent, 
on the value of all other minerals won and 
carried away over and above the quantity 
the Government Agent may allow to be taken 
free for the purposes of experiment. No 
private property shall be cut or injured ia 
any way without the consent of the owner 
;»nd at the determination of the license the 
holder must restore the land and buildings 
that he may have damaged in the course of 
prospecting. As to mining leases, these may 
be granted for one or more blocks, each 
exceeding ten acres in extent and not 
exceeding one hundred acres in extent, pro- 
vided that the total area does not exceed 
five hundred acres. The length of a block 
shall not be allowed to exceed four 
times its breadth, and the lessee must 
pay a royalty at the rate of 10 per cent on 
plumbago of R300 a ton and upwards in 
value, of 5 per cent on all plumbago below 
that price, and in the case of other minerals 
not exceeding 20 per cent of the vaiue. The 
rent will be RlOO per acre but no lessee shall 
pay both royalty and rent in respect of the 
same lease, but only such one of them as may 
be of the greater amount. For other land 
not vised tor mining purposes the yearly 
rent shall not exceed ElO per acre. 
