January i, iSgi.] 
the tropioxl agriculturist. 
525 
A wide Bpan is required to cany the wire over lire j 
Deduruoya ; but we found that river — the next to I 
be bridged we should think — far less in depth and 
breadth of water than we had anticipated at this 
time of year. This reminds us to remark on the 
neatness and yet great strength of the new Toppu 
girder bridge beyond Negombo : it rests on sub- 
stantial iron piles screwed into the bed of the 
Mahaoya. The bridge bears the name of the 
respected Factory Engineer, and is a great improve- 
ment (though rather narrow inside) on the old wooden 
bridge, and especially on the ferry we crossed two 
years ago. 
Finally, we have to remark on the important 
scene of Coconut Cultivation in the Rajakadaluwa 
district north of Chilaw, Mr. G. D. Miller, the 
pioneer, and the sole European planter who has 
ventured down there, has now demonstrated to 
the satisfaction of some of the best authorities in 
the island that the climate and soil are well suited 
for coconuts. Mr. Miller’s own four and five years’ old 
palm trees, notwithstanding the prolonged drought 
after the South-West monsoon of this year, are 
most promising, and this gentleman will shortly 
have 1,000 acres planted altogether, on the group 
of plantations under his care. There is no reason, 
we believe, why the coconut palm should not be 
planted and succeed alongside the thirty miles of 
road to Puttalam. The character of the soil 
makes up to a great extent for the short rainfall. 
Mr. Jardine who rather shook his head on his 
first visit with us in September 1888, a few 
months ago on a second visit, quite changed his 
opinion and he has reported very favourably of the 
prospects of the Bajakadaluwa and Toynbee plan- 
tations. Here then is a planting industry 
established in a remote district, mainly through 
the indefatigable exertions of one man, aud the 
amount of good he (with his follow-proprietors) have 
done to the poor people around him, both Sin- 
halese and Tamil in affording them welcome 
employment and in stimulating them to give more 
work to their own gardens, cannot be overestimated. 
All success, say we, to Eajakadaluwa and its spirited, 
hardworking proprietor Mr. G. D. Miller. 
^ 
Aqrioultubal Company of Maubitids announce 
an interim dividend of Is per share, or at the rate 
of 10 per cent, per annum, for the half-year ending 
Sept. 30th, payable, tax free, on Deo, 24th at the 
Alliance Bank. — 0. Mail, 
The Kola Nut. — The wonderful stories that have 
been told of the properties of the kola nut are more 
than confirmed by our Consul at Bahia, who has written 
a special letter to Lord Salisbury on the subject. The 
West African carriers at that port, who use kola, and 
carry the bean wrapped in banana about their persons, 
are not physically speaking superior men to the 
Brazilian negro ; yet the African, through constantly 
masticating kola can, we are assured, endure fatigue 
which no Brazilian traveller can withstand. Where it 
takes eight Brazilian negroes to carry a load with diffi- 
culty, four Alrican porters carry it cheerfully, singing 
and obauliug as they trudge along, each with a bit of 
kola beau in the mouth. As a rule the kola-eating 
African gangs who labour at the hard task of unload 
iiig vessels earn, we are told, twice as much as their 
compeliiors. The beans, which are described as unin- 
to-iioating aud in no way injurious, are said to act as a 
nutritive, aud quench thirst ; yet they are not strictly a 
stimulant. The supply at Bahia comes from Lagos. It 
is best soou after it is gathered, aud is sold according to 
freshness at twopence or threeiionce for each beau. It 
appears that the attention of the Government of India 
has already been called to iho extraordinary properties 
of kola nuts, aud practical information has been sup- 
plied to them from the authorities at Kew,— F, Press, 
THE I. M. S. “ INVESTIGATOE ” AND TEE 
COCOS ISLANDS. 
The I. M. S. “ Investigator,” which is now in har- 
bour, has recently been surveying the Great and Little 
Cocos, islands to the North of the Andamans, which 
must not be confounded with the Cocos, or Keeling 
Islands, to the South of Sumatra. Both islands are 
uninhabited and belong, we believe, to a Rangoon 
Barrister who has leased them from Government for 
fifty years as a speculation. Forty years ago or more 
an attempt was made to effect a settlement on the 
Great Coco, which is 6 miles in length by 2 miles 
in breadth, by three Europeans, one Bast Indian and 
eight Burmese ; but the project had to be abandoned 
as seven of the party succumbed to fever. The 
island is surrounded by a strip of white coral beach, 
on which grows an almost continuous belt of coco- 
nut trees, whence its name is doubtless derived. 
Within the belt is nothing but forest and jangle. 
Up till now it has always been supposed that neither 
of the islands contained any fresh water. In 1874 a very 
careful examination was made, but without any drinking 
water being found, although it was said by some natives 
that a good tank did exist somewhere. Ourions to 
say, the officers of the “ Investigator ” have now 
discovered fresh water on both. One officer also bagged 
a strange specimen of a teal, which has been sent to 
Oaloutta for identification. Dr. Alcock, the ship’s Natu- 
ralist, during the time that he has been on board 
has been paying special attention to marine biology, 
a science which may be said to be still in its infancy, 
Dr. Alcock has made some important discoveries 
both during last season and this, The most in- 
teresting discovery, perhaps, is that of highly 
luminous deep sea crustaceans, which were dredged 
at a depth of 3,000 feet on the voyage round from 
Bombay. According to a correspondent this is 
believed to be the first positive proof that the source 
of light in the dark abysses of the ocean is the sell- 
luminosity of the animal inhabitants. A large prawn 
lying in a bucket of sea water on deck was observed 
to be shining brightly, and, being seized, it emittes 
copious clouds of phosphorescence from the orificed 
of the genital glands. By the light of this luminous 
secretion Mr. Alcock was abl , though otherwise in 
perfect darkness, to see the details of the interior 
of the bucket, and hie own hands as well as the 
position and shape of the animals in the bucket , 
After the removal of the animal the water remained 
luminous for some time. Other crustaceans were 
also luminous, but to a less extent. Dr. Aloock’s 
name as a marine biologist is likely to be heard of 
frequently in the future, for he has the most favour- 
able opportunities of pursuing his work of scientifio 
research. The Government of India has provided 
him with expensive apparatus necessary for dredging 
the deep sea bottom, aud the Bay of Bengal as a 
field for investigation has so far been hardly tonebed 
except round tue coasts. It can hardly be doubted 
that its tropical waters contain many wonders, which 
so far have never seen the light of the sun. — 
Madras Mail, Got. 19th. 
♦ 
PROGRESS IN THE NEGOMBO DISTRICT. 
Coconut and Ibeigation — CoieFibee — Oil, &c. 
We congratulate Mr. Akbar, the spirited pro- 
prietor of Katukande oooouut plantations (600 acres 
in oultivation) on the banks of the Mahaoya, on 
securing the services of Mr. Wm. Lawranoe late of 
the Badulla district, as his Engineer and Manager. 
Mr. Lawranoe is a practical engineer trained in 
one of the first establishments in Aberdeen, 
and he has also had prolonged experienoe as 
a planter. Katukande is a very important charge ; 
for besides the estate, Mr. Akbar has a large 
Ooir Fibre Mill employing some 400 people on 
the property, and it ie also the soene of most 
