Dbc. 2, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
391 
THE LATEST VENTURE IN BRITISH 
CENTRAL AFRICA. 
We have now studied with some care the 
papers sent us respecting the new Company 
entitled " Blantyre and East Africa, Ltc . 
The term "East" is rather confusing, be- 
cause British East Africa is the ofiicial term 
given to the Uganda, rather than the Nyassa 
or Blantyre territory. But let that pass. 
The capital of the new Company is to he 
£60,000 and the Directors include such practi- 
cal men as Mr. John W. Moir. of Lauderdale 
estates, B.C. Africa, and Mr. A. L. Cross, so 
long and favourably known in Ceylon, Now 
the present Company has been formed for 
the purpose of amalgamating the concerns 
known as :— -r^ , 
I —Buchanan Biotbers' Trust Estate"?, II.— 
Hynde and Starke's Estates, III.— John \V Moir's 
Lauderdale Estate, IV.— Tlie Scottish Central 
African Syndicate, Limited, and for the purchase 
of other selected estates in British Central Africa 
and elsewhere, and for carrying on and extending 
the various existiua businesses connected with these 
properties, comprisino coffee [planting and curing, 
tobacco growing and manufacturing, ivory, rubber 
and general trading, and for the production of 
chillies, capsicums, rubber, sugar, tea, cocoa, 
camphor, &c., and for developing the agricultural 
resources, Trade, and Commerce of British Central 
Africa, Northern Rhodesia and East Africa. 
And then we read :— 
Among the immediate results of the amalgama- 
tion will be the reduction of the management 
expenses, the more efficient distribution of the 
native labour supply, and generally a more eco- 
nomical and efficient working cf tlie properties 
under the direction of a Local Board of experi- 
enced planters. 
The Directors believe that planting in British 
Central Africa, on the high and healthy plateau 
known as the Shire Highlands, has a bright future 
laefore it, as the native labour is probably the 
cheapest in the world, and is chiefly paid in goods. 
Nyassaland coffee has already a reputation in the 
London Market, and Blantyre tobacco is gaining 
the premier position in Rhodesia and the East 
Coast. The present scheme provides for the 
amalgamation of the oldest and best coffee estates 
and tobacco businesses with the recently formed 
Scottish Central Africa Syndicate, Limited, on 
the lowest and most favourable terms, and for 
the working of the amalgamated concern.s under 
the direct management of the most experienced 
and successful local planters in both coffee and 
tobacco. 
The valuations certainly seem moderate 
enough, take for instance the "Buchanan" 
coffee lands :— 
Coffee in bear- 
ing, 363-53 acres, valued at £18, £6,534 
Planted 1897-8, 177-44: ,, ,, 15, 2,655 
Planted 1898 9. 91-80 „ ,, 10, 910 
Planted 1899-00, 280 60 ,, ,, 6, 1,680 
Planted 1900-1, 2-26.45 „ „ 3, 678 
Total area, 1,139-8? ,, 
Total capital value, £12,457 
If coffee does not pay at these capitalized 
rates, there is no hope for it in Central 
Africa at all. But the Buchanan estate gives 
the Company Township and Uncultivated 
49 
Land*;, Trade Goods and Live Stocks. Here 
is the full valuation : — 
Ccflee Acreage (as above) ..,£12,457 
Township Lands, 50 acres at £30, 1,500 
Uncultivated Land,— 140,000 
acres at Is 6d 10,500 
Trade Goods, Cattle, Buildings, 
&c. (per Report of the Trust's 
London Agents) 3,0C0 
£27.457 
Coffee crop (per the estimate of Mr. V J 
N Cox, Estate Manager), — less expenses 
from 1st April, 1901 1,125 
Total estimated value at current prices. ..£28, 582 
Price to be paid £21,250 
Next we have Meesrs.Hynde's and Starke's 
estates which include coffee and tobacco, a 
good trading connection in the latter having 
been established with Rhodesia. Here is the 
summing-up in this case : — 
The Company have acquired these estates at 
£12,000, one-half of which has been taken in Ordi- 
nary Shares of the Conipany, and the balance will 
be paid in cash or Debentures. The Balance- 
sheets of Hynde & Starke's Estates for 1899 and 
1900 may be seen at the Offices of the Company. 
They shew an average net Profit for that period of 
£820 19s Id, 
Then comes Mr. Moir's Lauderdale property 
of which we read :— 
The Lauderdale Estate, belonging to Mr. John 
W Moir, late Joint Manager of the African Lakes 
Company, Limited, and one of the early planters 
of British Central Africa, is situated in the Mlanje 
Di.strict, and extends to 1,399 acres of well 
selected land, of which 226 acres are under Coffee. 
In addition to the Coffee Mr Moir has been ex- 
perimeniing with Tea, which is manufactured and 
sold locally, and which gives every promise of 
being a distinct success. Other economic pro- 
ducts, such as Cocoa, Ginger, Rubber, cic, are 
also being tried on this estate. 
The acreage under Coffee, and the uncultivated 
land, is vahied at £2,607, and the buildings, machi» 
nery, cattle &c, at £2,270 : the price has been fixed 
by the Vendor at £4,500, of which one- half is pay- 
able in cash, and the balance in fully paid-up 
Shares of the Company. 
Next we have the Scottish 0. African Syndi- 
cate, the report being : — 
The estates of Scottish Central African Syndi- 
cate, Limited, are situated in the Blantyre, 
Zeniba and Cholo districts, and have been carefully 
selected for the purposes of Coifee, Tobacco and 
other cultivations. Like other properties in the 
Shire Highlands, the Syndicate had to face in 190O 
an abnormal scarcity of labour, due chiefly to 
Portuguese political action, which prevented the 
ordinary influx of labourers during the rains, when 
labour is essential : but the total receipts reported 
to date I'.ave amounted to £3.390. Among the 
receipts tliere is included a substantial profit from 
experimental tradirfg in the Lakes district in 
ivory and rubber. Over 7 tons of rubber were 
secured last season, 6 tons of which have come 
forward and been sold in the London market at 3s 
per lb., realising a total of £2,024. The remainder 
is now on its way to this country. The profit on 
these transactions represents over 30 per cent on the 
outlay. 
As these Estates were only recently formed, and 
hare not yet been developed to the same stage aa 
