424 
THE TROPfCAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1890. 
CEYLON TEA IN EUSSIA. 
We call attention to the interesting, not to say 
piquant, Report furnished by M. Eogivue to the 
Ceylon Tea Fund Committee of his operations and 
their results in Russia. Returning as M, Rogivue 
is to that country with a fresh supply of “the 
sinews of war ” we may fully expect a large 
amount of actual business in Ceylon teas through 
his agency ; while the recent official recognition 
of our product and the well-known active interest 
of the Russian Consul (M. de Frisch) at this port 
afford a further guarantee that we are on the eve 
of a regular tea business with Russia. Curiously 
enough, last evening we received a letter direct 
from St. Petersburg, from the gentleman to whom 
M. Eogivue refers, whom we first met at Vichy 
in France three years ago, Mr, W. Barnes-Stevani 
who is the correspondent of an influential English 
journal in Russia. Before we met him, he had 
interested himself in the mission of Sir G. H. D. 
Elphinstone to St. Petersburg and Moscow, when 
“Logie” went over to introduce our teas into 
Russia. Our friend has special influence it will be 
observed, and although he supposed that he, if any 
one had a special claim on the Ceylon Tea Agency, 
he very cheerfully accepts the situation and promises 
his cordial support to M. Rogivue in his attempt 
to convert the Russian people to a full appreciation 
of the merits of Ceylon tea. For this assurance of 
CO. operation, Mr.Barnes-Stevani will deserve a cordial 
vote of thanks from the tea planters of Ceylon. 
We quote as follows from his letter: — 
St. Petersburg, Sept. 30th (Oct. 12th). 
I received your very welcome letter a few days ago 
on my return from a long journey in the Caucasus on 
the confines of Asia. 
I travelled in the State train of the Minister of Finance 
with one of the minister’s old friends, so you can under- 
stand I had a grand time of it. Now I am again here 
in the capital of the frozen north, thousands of miles 
away from the sun, the wind and the beautiful scenery 
of the Caucasus. 
And now about Ceylon Tea,— 
I was sorry to hear that the planters had already 
appointed an agent, especially as I had made such 
sacrifices in Moscow to introduce the tea in that centre 
of conservatism and superstition and was the first 
Englishman here who foresaw the great future this 
tea has in Russia. It is now about 5 years ago 
since 1 first found the tea at Mr. Henikey’s in 
London and resolved to introduce it in this country. 
It has, however, been reserved for another to take 
my work and reap where I have sown. I not only 
believe that Ceylon tea will make its way into the 
Russian markets ; but that this tea and tea grown 
on the Himalayan mountains might be transported 
into Russia direct through Afghanistan at a great sav- 
ing of time and money, if we could only come to some 
agreement with Russia about the Eastern Question. 
I have friends, Russian engineers, who have built 
thousands of miles of railway, who would build a railway 
through Afghanistan “like a shot,’’ if the Governments 
could only come to a “modus vivendi.” I am pretty 
convinced that Russia does not want India. She has 
in Centra) Asia, Siberia and the Caucasus more wealth 
and more land than she can develop in the next hundred 
years. She is however, wishing toj get to the sea either 
through Constantinople or Persia. The Russian Em- 
pire is entirely self-supporting. It has everything 
within itself, and all that she requires to do for the i\ext 
ifO years is to plough, dig and build. If her statesmen 
are all as sensible as M. Vishnigradsky and the Tsar, 
they will do it ; but should they die we know not wliat 
may happen. In my last journey I travelled day and 
night for five days without coming to the end of Russia. 
Another friend who has just returned from a journey 
of 10,fK)0 miles in Russia and Turkestan states that he is 
siinjily astounded at the wealth, power and resources 
of this country, still in Us first youth. 
I shall bo very glad to assist Mr. Rogivue in this 
work as far as my duties as Correspondent will permit. 
He seems to be still very unused to the ways of the 
Scythians or in Shakespearian English, a little “green.” 
For all that, I believe the planters have hit upon 
a firstrate man, energetic and honest. One cannot 
know Russia in a day and v.'bat knowledge I possess 
of the country I shall be glad to place at his dis- 
posal if he requires assistance. I believe I can 
help him in many ways, but principally in getting 
the Russian press to direct public opinion to the 
new tea and to write favorably about it. This I can 
do, being personally acquainted with the press men 
on most of the papers in Petersburg and Moscow. 
This is very important. The “ Press ” in the country 
can make or mar this business if they choose. I 
know more than one business they have ruined by 
their attacks at its very commencement. 
CEYLON TEA IN RUSSIA. 
Kandy, Nov, 5th. 
To the Editor, Ceylon Observer. 
Sir, — I beg to enclose letter received from Mr. 
Wm. Martin Leake, Secretary, the Ceylon Associ- 
ation in London, transmitting Mr. M. Rogivue’s 
Report on the subject of making known and pushing 
the sale of Ceylon Tea in Russia. I also enclose 
copy letter from Mr. Eogivue. — Yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP, Secretary. 
Loudon, Oct. 16tli. 
A. Philip, Esq., Secretary of the Ceylon Planters’ 
Association, Kandy. 
Dear Sir, — This is to inform you that Mr. Wm. 
Martin Leake, the Secretary of the London Assneiation 
is posting by today’s mail to your care my general report 
upon my mission in Russia ou behalf of the Ceylon 
Tea Fund which I trust will meet with the approval 
of your Committee. 
At a well-attended meeting of this Association held 
yesterday, I gave the gentlemen present an illustration 
of the work done by me in Russia during the 
past two months and of what remains to be done in 
order to introduce Ceylon tea into the country. 
I came to Loudon with the intention of making 
arrangements with some friends to open depots and 
retail places in Moscow and St. Petersburg for the 
sale of Ceylon tea and I am very hopeful to be success- 
ful in my undertakings, so to enable me to return to 
Russia with the shortest delay. 
Thanking your Committee for the grant of funds 
voted recently to be placed at my disposition for the 
continuation of my mission, I remain, dear sir, yours 
faithfully, (Signed) M. Eogivue. 
Ceylon Association in London, 4 Mincing Lane, 
E. C. London, 17th Oct. 1890, 
A. Philip, E?q., Ceylon Planters’ Association, Kandy. 
Dear Sir, — Since I wrote to you on the 26th ultimo 
I have had the pleasure of receiving your letter of 
15th ultimo forwarding copy of resolution of tho 
Standing Committee of the Tea Fund under which 
115,000’*’ are placed at the di.sposal of Mr. M. Eogivue 
for further prosecuting the sale of Ceylon tea in Russia. 
This liboial vote has given very general satisfaction 
here and to no one more than to Mr. Rogivue, who 
has just arrived in London in excellent health 
and spirits. 
He has handed me a very interesting report of his 
proceedings of which I enclose a copy for publication 
in Ceylon. 
He is doing his best to make all possible arrage- 
ments for strengthening his position for renewing the 
campaign. And he proposes to return to Russia very 
shortly. 
On Wednesday last both he and Mr. Grinlinton 
attended a meeting of our Tea Committee here and 
told us, each the tale of his travels. — I am, youis faith- 
fully, (Signed) Wm. Martin Leake. 
* Sic ; hut M, Rogivuo speaks of £150 ?— Ed, T, A, 
