m THE TROPICAL AftRlCt3LTURlST. [Xvse 1, m^. 
and residents found during the American 
war. We have known a stiipload of Tinne- 
velly cotton sold six times over between 
Tuticorin and London, and a telegraphic 
code providing for the price— at the time 
2id per lb.— running up to a shilling, ren- 
dered useless, because the Amei-ican blockade 
had raised the value to eighteen pence a pound ! 
Then, see, how profits from cotton goods 
have dwindled in Lancashire and in Bombay 
in recent years ; while even here, the experi- 
ence of our solitary Cotton Mills, started 
under the brightest auspices, proves how 
swiftly new conditions may arise and upset 
the calculations of the shre\vdest heads in 
the community. To commence with, the 
capital subscribed was insufficient; but so 
confident were the promoters of a large and 
quick turnover with local sales and a steady 
demand for yarn from the Far East, that 
work was started with the assurance 
that no inconvenience would result 
from insufficient capital which, it was 
further felt would be only a temporary 
trouble as the shares would be taken un as 
soon as the Mills began to work. The slack 
and diminishing dcmaijd for yarn from 
China and Jap.in, which countries erelong 
began starting their own Mills ; the un- 
certainty and variation of local wants ; 
the depression in the tea industry; the 
tightness of the money market, jointly 
and severally brought about conditions with 
which our first and only Spinning and VVeav- 
ino- Company foimd itself unable to contend, 
aiill it had to transfer its interests to*Jthers 
whose business connections with India hold- 
'out a 'v/o uise of siiccpss which, we trust, will 
'be ab'i'ui, ii>ali:^(;d. ^, , 
We rt-i'^T to thL- suoject .pist now, througn 
haviu'^ coiue across infoi-mation lately which 
points^ to a fmther impending revolution in 
the cocton trade. E,^yptian cotton has had 
a hi°-h reputation in the markets of the world 
fora numbL*:of years, both for staple and for 
"strength ; and the fertility of the Nile Valley 
' and the cheapness of lalwur gave Egypt an 
' immense advantage over all other competitors. 
But, hitherto, it is only for the production of the 
raw' material that the land of the Pharoah's 
has been famed. Now, a new order of things 
is imminent ; and Egypt will soon enter the 
lists as a mamifacturer. Already we learn 
from an Indian exchange, that Bombay piece 
o-oods have found their way to Khartoum, 
and, as the Soudan gets more and more 
• settled, nvtiually the demand for cotton 
"goods will grow, especially under the 
free trade principles just announced by 
the Sirdar. Indeed, it is the expecta- 
tion of commercial advantages of this nature 
which has been one of the inspiring 
forces for the reconquest of the Soudan 
and the proclamation of British sovereignty 
together with Egyptian. But Egypt is not 
content that distant industrial centres should 
have the monopoly of manufacture for her 
wants and for those of the newly acquired or 
recon<r>ured territory. A strong tendency is 
shown by Egyptian capitalists to find other 
invcstineats for their money besides,— that is, 
in juldition to,— land. Industrial and com- 
mercial conctcrns a.re attracting more atten- 
tion than they used to, and the Govern- 
ment has ])een approached with a view to 
the establishment of Cott'>n MilU. Certain 
economic coiisider.itions have, however, to 
be dealt with bofoiv any decided steps can 
he taken. Egyjjtian cotton pays au expoit 
duty of 1 per cent, and wlien it ivturns in 
the shape of yarn and piece goo^is an 
import duty of 8 per cent is levied. Is 
this source of revenue to be abandoned in 
furtherance of Cobdenite principleci If so, 
what taxes should l)e levied U) compensate 
for the loss:-' And is the Soudan to have 
a diiferent fiscal policy ? The effect of 
maintaining the import dutv in Egypt 
would be pr;w;tically to excfude foreign, 
that is British competition. Tliat is not a 
form of pi-otection which will suit the British 
taxpayer; nor is it for the ruin of his 
own industries that he has l>een clamorous 
for the extension of British influence in 
Afric<v, from Egypt to the Cape. There is 
the alternative of an excise on Egyptian 
goods equivalent tt) the imixirt duty. It 
will thus Ik; seen tliat revenual. economic and 
commercial consideratit)ns come into play J 
and until they have been weighed and decided 
on, the investor will hesitate aud the astute 
British rej>resent;itive in Egypt will detei* 
mine notliing. But the progress of exiuiuier- 
ciai and industrial undertukings caunot be 
.•iltogether st;ived ev<;n by such considera- 
ticjns as have heeu stated. They may <mly 
be delayed, and that only for a shoit time. 
The Egyptian Government will have to de- 
clare its j»olicy; and once investors Ite^in 
establishing Mills, a fitrsh impetus will be 
given to cotton cultivation. The cx>utem- 
plation of the possibilities which open to view 
need cause no anxiety ; for, concurrently with 
the entry of new competitors in the field of 
manufacture, will develop new demands fi-om 
races and peoples growing in numbers and 
civilization under just aud humane laws. 
Tliese are among the greatest and most 
pleasing triumphs of peace ; aud the day of 
wars and contention has prevailed long 
enough to serve the arts of peace. 
THE CLOSE OF THE CHINA TEA SEASON. 
We may hope shortly to hear how the new 
China Tea Season has opened dming the 
early days of May ; but meantime we are 
free to take the following as the complete 
figures for Export season 1898-99, as com- 
pared with the previous year, for China 
and Japan teas : — 
EXPOKT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO UNITED 
KINGDOM AND CONTINENT. 
1398-99. 1897-93. 
lb. lb. 
Haukow aud Shanghai.. 13,233,930 15,292,448 
Foochow .. 12,682,534 12,160,708 
Amoy .. 688,318 685,651 
Canlon .. 5,105,000 5,993,8.^9 
30,760,442 84,132,646 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO UNITED 
STATES AND CANADA. 
1898-99. 1897-98. 
lb. lb. 
Shanghai .. 16,621,547 20,836,000 
Amoy .. 15,036,413 15,861,506 
Foochow .. 9,178,280 7,740,345 
40 836,240 44437^1 
