April i, 1891 .J 
fME tROPIGAL AGFiieOLtifRSSt, 
695 
darjce at work — a fact whioli would have to be borue in 
mind if at the instigation of the Holt Hallolts 
of the future a Factory Act were to bo imposed upon 
the as yet undeveloped textilo industry of Ceylon. 
Apart from these difhcultie s, however, the company is 
able to give a good account of i's operation and pros- 
pects. The manager ex! ols the Oeylon cliirate as p' r- 
fect for cotton spinning and weaving. It is never too 
dry, and the excoisive moisture of tlie rainy teasou is 
easily overcome by artificial means. lie has some of 
Dobson aud Barlow's best plant to work with, and 
boasts that the quality of his yarn aud cloth is superior 
to that of the products of lha Indian mills, and very 
nearly equal to English. He would be a singular 
manager if he said anything less than this. However, 
the experiment will at all events be iule-esting enough 
to be worth watebiug. Cotton spinning in Oeylon 
must necessarily be carried on under difficulties, and 
these have not been reduced by starting the enterprise 
with eomething less tbau half the requisite capital. 
But the company seems hopiful euougli, and if hope 
could assure success this ought to prove a prosperous 
concern . — Bombay Gazette. 

EAST AFRICA THE BRITISH, PORTU- 
GUESE AND GERMANS— AND THE 
PLANT I N G SETTLEMENTS. 
We have had an interesting conversation today 
with Mr. A. Carnegie Eoss, British Vice-Consul at 
Quilimane in Portuguese East Africa. Mr. Ross is 
married to tlio second daughter of the late Mr. R. 
Boyd Tytler and our readers will remember the 
graphic description of a Christmas experience at 
Quilimane by Mrs. Eosa which we published a 
short time ago in our Literary Register. The con- 
nection of Vioe-Consul Eoss with Ceylon is there- 
fore a close and interesting one and it is no wonder 
that when the time came for a holiday and the 
opportunity of a steamer offering, Mr. Ross should 
taka passa::e in the S. S. “Clan Mackay ” for 
Ceylon ; and after spending a thoroughly enjoyable 
holiday with his relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Vollar 
and the Messrs. Tyllerheve, hois now voyaging to 
London by the B. I. S. S. “ Goorkha ” which loft 
here this afternoon. With all the stir about East and 
South African affairs at home just now, Mr. Ross’s 
presence and experience will be very acceptable. 
Mr. Carnegie Ross — who is tall, slim and wiry, 
a keen hard-headed Aberdonian of the intellectual 
type, — has been in East Africa lor six years. He 
came out as Agent for the African Lakes Company 
and later on combined this Agency with the 
British Vice-Consulship at Quilimane, the capital 
of the Portuguese Settlements. His office there 
has, as may be imagined, not been abed of roses for 
the past year or so ; but though he has had very 
amusing, as well as perhaps annoying experiences, 
he has managed to maintain not only peace, but 
even friendship with the leading Portuguese, officials, 
and he is so well-known among them as well as 
their half-caste and native employees to be a man 
of his word, that no interference with him 
offioially or personally has ever been attempted. 
As administrators, colonists or settlers, or even 
as merchants and traders, the Portuguese are 
beneath contempt. They have never done, and 
never will do, anything with their African territory : 
and they might as w.ll try to mop back the 
Atlantic as try to prevent the spixad of Britieli 
and German influence. Mr. Ross exp-:cta that wilh 
the advent of Mr. II. B. Johnston, c.n., as British 
Commissioner for the territory, the Zambesi will be 
thrown open for general traffic for all its navigable 
length and any barrier attempted by the Portuguese 
will be promptly though peacefully removed. Mr. 
Ross speaks very highly of Mr. Johnston’s capabilities, 
fla also of Mr. Joseph Thomson, another well- 
known explorer and geologist, now at the head 
of an expedition to the West of the settled 
territory, among his staff being Mr. J. A. Grant, 
a son of Colonel Grant (of Speke aud Grant 
African fame) ; and also of Mr. Cecil Bhodea and 
the South African Expedition and settlers. Mr. 
Ross has often made the trip up the Zambesi 400 
miles to the Blantyro Mission and the Shiru 
Highlands, the headquarters of the East African 
Lakes Company. This is chiefly a Plantation Com- 
pany, and its leader Mr. Buchanan (although without 
any experience as a planter) guided by our Ceylon 
Planting Manuals and the Tropical Agriculturist 
which he gets regularly, has opened and planted 
a considerable extent with coffee which is flourish- 
ing though there is some talk of “ borer ” and 
other troubles. Mr. Eoss shipped 200 owt. of the 
coffee in the “Clan Mackay” at Quilimane, and 
seed he has given Mr. Vollar has already been 
planted in Dumbara to see how it will turn out. 
Labour is described as very cheap, a few silver 
coins a month, or a piece of calico ensuring 
willing labour. The Shir 6 Highlands up to 3,000 
feet altitude, but some 18“ from the equator, 
seem intended for a coffee country from 
the account given of them. Cinchona has also 
been tried on a moderate scale. One Indian 
planter has established himself near Blantyre 
(marrying a lady of the Mission) and has now a 
promising coffee garden. Of course, the cost and 
difficulties of transport are the great drawbacks. 
Mr. Ross, with his knowledge of the country and 
people, has made the journey in three weeks ; 
but ordinarily six weeks are required between the 
Blantyre Settlement and the Coast. The only 
Ceylon man who has turned up is Mr. Henry 
Brown (formerly Inspector of Police in Colombo 
and coffee planter in Matale). Ho has gone up 
the Zambesi .‘ii a native boat to get to the planting 
settlement — this being the cheaper though much 
longer way of going. By the solitary steamer 
which runs on the Zambesi for 400 mi-os at in- 
tervals, the passage is .-£20 sterling. Mr. J. E. W. 
Pigott, fortEcriy of Dikoya and Matale, is in ths 
employment of the Imperial British East African 
Company, working much farlher north. His 
station is Mombassa and the Company’s work is 
chiefly administrative to far, no planting having 
been done. Indeed there is enough to do to keep 
the Arabs (slave dealers) in order in that district, 
while farther south near the Zambesi, no Arabs 
have yet found an entrance aud the natives are 
tractable and easily managed if only fairly dealt 
by. East as well ns South Africa is bound to be 
opened up aud the highlands to bo colonised at 
a rapid rate in the next few years. One draw- 
back at present is that the British India Company 
have ceased to send their steamers farther south ihan 
Zanzibar, while the Donald Currie line seldom come 
to Quilimane. A coasting service for the whole of the 
East Coast would be an advantage, aud there 
ought to bo abundance of traffic both in passengers 
and goods if connected wilh the Cape service 
and with European lines say at Aden. 
We wish Mr. Carnegie Rrss a pleasant trip 
homo and a profitable stay in the old country, 
and afterwards a return in clue season with Mrs. 
Ross to his adopted home, wilh speedy promotion 
soon to follow in view of the rapid development 
of East Alrioa both in plantation and mining 
settlements. We are sure to h-:ar of Mr, Ross’s 
name in responsible positions as time rolls on. 
His principle of righteous dealing with tho natives 
has evidently been in contrast with some of the 
doings of Stanley aud his followers, and this lias 
served to make his name well-known and appreciated 
along the Zambesi and neighbouring territoriee, It ig 
