428 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1898. 
two winches, &o., has been sunk to a depth o£ 51ft., and 
tunnelling was commenced this week. A rough plan 
enclosed will show the v/ay the tunnelling in being 
worked. In the eastern tunnel the niiners are following 
a vein of from two to six inches in thickness and about 
tluee quarters of a ton has been got out in three or 
four days. Some of this is good lump plumbago 
of excellent quality, and the miners think that by 
following up this vein they will strike a larger vein. 
The indications are improving as they go on. The 
plumbago is mixed with quartz which they say is a 
good sign of the mineral in quantity. The expenses 
roughly to date, deducting the value of the mineral 
extracted, is about III, ,500. It may not be necessary 
to spend the 115,000 now asked for as the plumbago 
being taken out of the pit daily will pay about half of 
the working expenses and may increase considerably 
In case the Company find the working too expensive 
as they go on, the pit may be leased and a share of 
the profits given to the Company. Indications of the 
mineral are to be found in several other jjlaces both 
on Vogan and Iddagodde, and it may be worth the 
Company's while to obtain the services of a 
European expert to prospect. 
Well, althouf;h tlie outcome of the two tons 
of plumba{<o that they had cured was disap- 
pointing, the quality was very >,'oocl. They sold 
a small quantity, 33 ewt., (uid of tliat the 
lumps sold at the rate of R.j()5 a ton which, 
he thought they would admit, was a very fjood 
price, and chips at U340 a ton. Of course 
this was only surface jilumbago and he should 
think that probably if tliey got into a vein it 
■would have been a good deal better and 
yielded a larger proportion of lumps. One of 
the best experts in Colombo reported : — 
Herewith we return samples and valuations, two 
tons Vogan lead. The out-tuin is disappointing. This 
is due to the small proportion of lump which is of 
excellent quality. No doubt as mining progresses 
the plumbago will improve in quality and the propor- 
tion of lump increase considerably. 
Well, he thought that with the price of tea so 
low as it is they should make every effort to 
increase their income. Without being too sanguine, 
it looked as if they had here a chance to do so. 
It must be borne in mind that they had had a 
good deal of preliminary expenditure which 
Would not occur again and wiiatever money tliey 
spent now it would go a good deal further than 
what they had already spent. The directors were 
anxious to get the sanction of the shareholders 
to spend a certain amount if they saw fit in 
further prospecting and making the shaft deeper. 
If any shareholders had any questions to ask 
he, would answer them to the best of his abiliry. 
The Hon. Mr. Mitchki-l said he had never 
known a European to make anything out of 
plumbago mining. It seemed to him to be 
essentially an industry for natives to pursue. He 
could not help thinking that, if this Company 
took it in hand, the chances were that , they 
•would sink a lot of money. The Chairman had 
said that the preliminary expenses had been got 
over, taut the digging of plumbago was a con- 
stant source of expense. The shafts were 
continually falling in altogether or partially, 
and they had to be reopened and. shored up, fresh 
tunnels had to be made, and contingencies of 
all kinds were constantly arising which they 
could not foresee, involving heavy expenditure. 
The plumbago was good enough of the kind, but 
he was afraid they would find that native men 
were much more likely to succeed in carrying 
on work of that kind than they were. The 
present prices of plumbago were high, inflated 
lie should say, and it seemed to him that they 
were not likely to continue when the supplies 
brought out which they wonld undoitbtedly 
be as soon as this %yeat!ier was over. Every- 
body was making a insh for p'uinbago just 
now, the supply was fur in excess of tlie de- 
niaml, and ilie prices would Hndoubtetllv d op 
back to wlicre tliey were before the inflation. 
He should strongly lecomniPml that, if any- 
thing was done at all, it should be to let the 
mine to natives to work and take a Khare of 
the prolit. He was strongly opposed to llie 
Company going on spending money and doing 
the work themsplves. 
The Chaik.man said it was never the inten- 
tion of the directors to spend a large sum. 
Their idea was not to expend more than ItS.OOO 
or KG,0O0. 
Mr. Gordon Bois moved " that the 
directors be authori.«ed to spend from 
time lo time moneys in tlie working and 
mining of plumWago, provided that ilie moneys 
due on this account to the Company, after 
crediting proceeds ol sales of any plumbago, shall 
not exceed K5,iJ00." He was quite aware, 
as Mr. Mitchell had said, that Europeans had 
hitherto not made much out of plumbago, but 
lie did not think that Europeans httd given it a 
fair trial on their estates, and he thought it was 
worth while sjiending a sum, which was not ex- 
cessive, in getting an article which at present was 
of great value. At all events the initial cost would 
be repaid if they could get the article out with- 
out paying a large sum of money in tunnelling, 
shoriiig up operations, and things of that sort. 
Mr. Ti.SDALL seconded. 
The Hon. Mr. Mitchell proposed that the 
action ot the Hoard be conlirined in what they 
have done in searching for plumbago, and that 
the pit now be leased to a native for further 
working as thought desirable. 
Mr. W. E. Mitchell seconded. 
Mr. Jciaus said that looking to the small 
attendance at the meeting and the impoiiance 
of the matter, it would be advisable to defer 
the matter until they had obtained the opinion 
of the shareholders. 
Mr. Woodman said they might adjourn, but in 
the meantime this expenditure would be going on. 
Mr. Tisdall was understood to say that the 
expenditure was about R3o a da}\ 
Some conversation then took place as to ad- 
journing, the outcome of which was that the two 
resolutions were withdrawn and the following 
moved by Mr.- GonooN Bois and seconded by the 
Hon. Mr. Mitchell was unanimously adopted .- 
—"That as the views of the shareludders pies nt 
do not coincide as to what should be done and 
the number of shareholders present is small, it 
is proposed that the resolutions before the meet- 
ing be withdrawn, and that this meeting be ad- 
journed till the 26th Nov. at 12 o'clock, by which 
time the agents and secretaries are requested to 
obtain, if possible an expression of opinion from 
shareholders generally to submit to ^le adjourned 
meeting. In the meantime it is agreed that the 
work be carried on as small a scale as possible 
and that the past action of the directors be 
sanctioned." 
The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks 
to the chair, proposed by the Hon. Mr. Mitchell. 
Digging for Plumbago.— Our Geolooical and 
ineralogical Survey when it comes should surelv 
remove niueli of the objection to Europeans 
engaging in Plumbago mining? Meantime, we 
belie\e Mr. Tottenham is well satisfied with 
Capt. Tregay's developments on his Monerakande 
property, 
