Dec. ], 1903.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
42.3 
korale, where I marked several places where I 
wished pits sunk to test tlie gravel, This work was 
carried cut by the Inspector of Mines, Mr T G 
Huuter, who was-A'ith ine through ihe greater por- 
tion ot my travels. The tests of the gravel gave a 
few colours of gold per pan, but it was not present 
in payable quantities. In giving values per cubic 
yard reference was made to the gravel worked ; 
to this in actual practice must be added, where the 
Hats are worked, the amount of top soil or over- 
burden, ill some cases amounting to over 20 feet. 
In the creek beds and in the rivers this top soil 
would not be met with, and in some of the minor 
streams it is less than 10 feet. The present 
general survey of the country has pioved thai 
there are practically no gravel terraces, and that 
the shallow deposits, which are worked by the 
digger in other countries, would not be sufiiciently 
remunerative or extensive. Had there been any 
appreciable quantity of gold-bearing gravel in the 
islaud, it is only reasonable to suppose that 
during my journey of .3,041 miles, of which 1,078 
miles was done or. foot, that I should have found 
.some cf it. Hundreds of tests were made as I worked 
from voint ro point ; in tact, wherever gravel was 
found it was tested. The above refers to surface 
work, and the fact must not be lost sight f)f, that 
we are as ignorant as ever as to what minerals 
occur in depth. I am therefore able to report 
upon the shallow workings, river beds, &c., as 
being unprofitable to work by the gold digging 
system. By the dredging system I believe, if suit- 
able places were secured, and the gold-saving ap- 
pliances were modified to .suit the conditiona 
necessary for saving both gems and gold, that the 
undertaking, if properly managed, would pay. 
From some hundreds of tests made of quartz from 
reefs all over tiiecoutitry — for it is very abundant 
— I find that the highest values obtained were not 
remunerative. The quartz reefs of this country 
are dissimilar from any I have yet met with ; they 
•give one the impression that they are not fissure 
veins at all, but simply a re-arrangement of the 
quartz particles of gneiss, I do not think that 
the gold which has been found in the gravels had 
its origin in the gneiss, but in either a capping 
rock .which has long since been worn away, or 
possibly in a fold of Hornblende Schist, such as 
occurs in the Kolar goldfieid, Mysore, India. If 
my theory is correct, then we must look for gold 
produced from Ilia": capping rock, not in the hills 
but deeply buried. If an old-time liver-bed could 
be found on the plains and explored, it would 
elucidate this point. In places like the lake at 
Nuwara Eliya, which must have been a swanip at 
sometime ; in the low eountiy where two or more 
streams meet, and where there is little or no 
scour as in Malwana ; and at the junction of the 
Sitawaka and Getaheta, the gold would settle a.n., 
remain for all time. There is no information to 
be had on the subject of deep leads, as no boring 
has yet been carried out to prove the existence of 
gold or other minerals in deiith, — I am, &c,, 
George G. Dixon. 
THE MAL.\y STATES COFFEE CO., LTD. 
THE REPORT. 
Messrs. V A Julius, and E M Shattoclc. — Directors 
The Directors beg to submit to the Shareholders 
their report and accounts for the year ended March 
31st, 1903. The crop was estimated nt O.'iO picula of 
coffee, to shew a surplus over expenditure cf R91G'S3. 
The actual results, however, were considerably more 
fnvourable, the crop secured having been GTl'dlpicnls 
coffee which realised (after deduction of curing charges^ 
the som of R12,972*:-j8, or with the proceeds of refuse 
coffee, etc., sold, a total of R14,699'90, showing a profit 
of R3,045'56 on working account. After payment of 
establishment charges, etc., the balance at credit of 
Profit and Loss Acconnt is li2,958 B7, which the Direc- 
tors recommend should be carried forward to next 
account. Theesiimate of crop for the current year 
is 700 piculs coffee on a)i expenditure (iuclosive of 
curing charges) of Rl5,Gi:5'0O. So far no particulars 
of sales of ihe crop have baen received, bat it is hardly 
likely that the price realised will be so favourable aa 
last year. Rubber continues to make extremely satis- 
factory growth, and it is proposed to apply part of the 
available funds to p!a^ting up a further area in this 
product. I^lr L T Bonstead visited the property in 
March last, and a copy of hi i report is appended here- 
with, together with a few photographs of variotrs parts 
of the estate, whioh will doubtless be cf interest to 
Shareholders. Mr H G Bois and Mr G W Suhren 
retired from the board owing to their departure from 
the island, and it will be necessary to elect two Direc- 
tors in their place. An Auditor will also have to be 
appointed for the current season. — By order of the 
Directors, Lee, Hedges & Co., Agents and Secretaries. 
THE DUCKWARI (CEYLON) TEA I'LANTA- 
TION COMPANY, LIMITED. 
REI'ORT BY Tllii DIRliCTOKS. 
The Directors have pleasure in submitting the 
accounts for the year ending ,Jnue 30th, 1903. Including 
the balance brought forward from last year, and after 
writing off 10 per cent, depreciation in value of Machi- 
nery and Buildings, the balance at credit of Profit and 
Loss Acconnt, subject to Income tax, is £2,863 12 1. 
From this has to be deducted an Interim Dividend of 
3J per cent, on Preference Shares (£420), and 2J per 
cent, on Ordinary Sharts (£200), paid on February 
14th and February 2l3t, 1903 £620 0 0. Leaving 
£2,243 12 1 which i^ is proposed to appropriate as 
follows : — 
(1) In payment of 7 per cent, in full on the Pre- 
ference Shires £420 0 0. (2) In payment of 7 per 
cent, in full on the Ordinary Shares £360 0 0. (3) 
To carry forward balance to next year £1,463 12 1, 
Total £2,243 12 1, The Directors, being desirous to 
free the Company from their Debenture Bonds, have 
resolved to set aside funds for this purpose, and hope 
to materially reduce them during the current year. 
The returns of Crop have been 302,530 lb. Tea and 
17,355 lb. Cardamoms, against 320,070 lb. Tea and 
14,283 lb. Cardamoms in last season. The average 
piice obtained for the former is 6'12d per lb. and 14'04d 
per lb, for the latter, against 5 48d per lb. and 17'66d 
per lb, respectively for the previous twelve months. 
The Estimates for the coming season are 310,000 lb. 
Tea and 10,000 lb. Cardamoms, The Machinery and 
Building's are maintained in a good state of repair. 
Mr Troutbeck retires from the Direction by rotation, 
iind, being eligible, offers himself for re-election. Th 
Auditors, Messrs Brcwn, Fleming & Wurray also 
retire, and offer themselves for re-appointment. 
P. G. SPENCE,C;/fl/™n», 
R. CROSS AITKEN, Secretary, 
17, Philpot Laoe, London, E. C , Nov. 1903. 
DIG ALL A CEYLON TEA ESTATE COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS 
to be submitted at the Seventh Annual Ordinary 
General Meeting of .Shaieholders to be held at 2i3, 
Easicheap, EC, on Wednesday, 18th November, 
im 
The Directors herewith submit the General Balance 
Sheet and Profit and Lobs Account for the year ending 
30th June, 1903, duty audited. 
The net amount at Credit of Profit and Loss Account, 
after providiue for General Expenses, Directors' Fees, 
Income Tax STc, is £l,i97 5 9. Dividends on the 
6 per cent. Perfeience Shares were paid for 1902 3 (less 
