Feb. 1, l904.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
553 
CEYLOxX SIIirriNG IN 1903. 
CEYLON EXPORTS IN RELATION TO 
FREIGHT AND TUNNAGE-1888-1903. 
1903 THE EECORD YEAR. TEA GIVING 40 
PERCENT AND CGCON QT FKODUCTb 
50 PER GENT OF TOTAL CARGO 
EXPORTED. 
The figures vvliich are given annually 
under this heading are taken irom re- 
turns of the Ceylon Chamber of Com- 
merce. They give the quantities of cargo 
exported from Ceylon and tlie number of 
vessels by which the cargo was taken. In 
dealing with cargo in relation to "IShipping," 
it is advisable tliat figures should be on the 
basis of " Shipping Tons," and the following 
statistics are based on the Chamber's figures, 
but reduced to "Shipping Tons" according 
to the Cejlon Tonnage Scale («) :— 
No. veasela Cargo taken Average taken 
In year. 
cleared with 
in Shipping 
per vessel 
cargo. 
tons. 
tons. 
1888 
573 
120,431 
210 
1890 
698 
156,159 
223 
1891 
872 
174,316 
200 
1892 
871 
200,986 
230 
1893 
848 
197,823 
233 
1894 
808 
200,489 
248 
1895 
784 
213,843 
272 
1896 
830 
216,844 
261 
1897 
756 
245,830 
325 
1898 
773 
297,211 
384 
1899 
856 
293.507 
343 
IPOO 
826 
316,004 
382 
1901 
984 
324,378 
330 
1902 
... 1,068 
332,077 
309 
1903 
. . 1,088 
384,176 
353 
Thfse figures show an increase in 1903 of 
52,099 shipping tons compared with 1902, and 
are far ahead of all preceding years. The ex- 
ceptional export, as will be observed further 
on. is mainly due to the large crop of coco- 
nuts harvested during the year, and the con- 
sequent increase in export of all products 
of the Coconut palm. The following are 
among the more noticeable fluctuations com- 
pared with 1902 :- 
Tea shows an increase of 2,129 shipping tona 
Cardamoms 
do 
294 
do 
Cinnftmon 
do 
963 
do 
Coconat oil 
do 
10,918 
do 
Copra 
do 
28,898 
do 
Desiccated coconat 
do 
1,258 
do 
Poonac 
do 
2,614 
do 
Coconuts 
do 
541 
do 
b Coir yarn, rope & fibre do 
5,824 
do 
Plumbago shows 
1 decrease of 832 
do 
Grouping together the products of the coco- 
nut palm— coconut oil, copra, poonac, coco- 
nuts, desiccated cocoonut. coir rope, yarn 
and fibre— we find last year's exports aggre- 
gate 193,237 tons against 143,184 ton.^ for 1902, 
an increase of 50,053 tons, of which copra 
a Car{<o bronght for transhipment, as well as 
cargo shipped by native craft, is not included in 
these returns. 
b Figures not being available to show what pro 
portions of coir yarn, and fibre are shipped in 
presbed bales as against ballots, dholls, &c,, the 
tonnage is heie calculated ac 6 cwts. to the ton, 
this being the tonnai;e taken when these siatistics 
were first published by us. By continuingthe same 
scale the percentage of increase and decrease in 
export is correctly arrived at. 
alone is responsible for 18,898 tons. The 
figures in connection with these products and 
for Tea for the period under review are 
interesting:— 
Produce of the 
In year. coconut f aim. Tea. 
1888 .. 61,375 24,.38l 
1889 .. 65,780 34,048 
1890 .. 72,291 46,901 
1891 ... 69,879 68,274 
1892 .. 94,550 71,153 
1893 .. 79,935 84,406 
1894 ... 8.5,711 84,591 
1895 . . 84 567 97,939 
1896 .. 80,570 108,141 
1897 .. 100,614 116,054 
1898 .. 139,334 119,769 
1899 .. 119,154 129,891 
1900 .. 135,137 148,431 
1901 .. 142,905 146,298 
1902 .. 143,184 148 991 
1903 ... 193,237 151,120 
While Tea has nearly been stationary for 
the last four years, and is likely to continae 
so in the near future, the increasing value of 
the Coconut palm in relation to ' shipping " is 
of the highest importance. 
The following products do not appear in the 
Chamber of Commerce returns, but from the 
Customs returns for 11 months ending 30th 
November, 1903, they appear of importance 
to "shipping." 
Arrack .. 64,768 gallons. 
Tobacco .. 4,046,126 lb. a 
Arecanuts .. 101,216 lb. 
Here we have at least a further 10,000 ship- 
ping tons for steamer and native craft. For 
the further support of native craft there is 
also the export of curry stuffs, fish, jaggery, 
myrobalanis, shells, skins and other njinor 
articles. Of the total export last year 
Tea gives 40 per cent. Products of the Coconut 
palm 50 per cent. 
Plumbago 6 per cent. Other exports 4 per cent. 
These figures show how dependent " ship- 
ping" at Ceylon is on the Cultivation of the 
Tea bush and the Coconut palm. 
Last year 1,088 vessels cleared with cargo, 
compared with 1,068 for the preceding year, 
or an increase of 20 vessels. Tonnage was 
plentiful all through the year, and with the 
large increase in carrying capacity of the new 
liners as they replace older vessels, there is 
every reason to look for ample tonnage 
during the current year to meet shippers' 
requirements. Last year a new line of 
steamers trading with Italy, viz. the Societa 
Veneziana de Navigazione a Vapore, began 
calling at Colombo. 
Freights ruled low all through the year : 
Rough cargo. Tea. 
Max. 
Min. 
Max. 
Min 
London 
273 6d 
203 
27a 6d 
20a 
Antwerp 
203 
do 
Bremen 
do 
do 
Genoa 
do 
do 
Hamburg 
do 
do 
Havre 
do 
do 
New York 
303 
303 
33a 
333 
Odessa 
20g 
158 
Trieste 
do 
203 
BOa 
,203 
Adelaide ) 
Melbourne j 
R50 
R15 
660 
B16 
Sydney 
