776 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[May I, 1891 . 
THE JAMAICA EXHIBITION : 
WHY NOT A COSMOPOLITAN EXHIBI- 
TION IN CEYLON ? 
PiioDucTs OF Jamaica. 
From a description of the Jamaica Court, some 
interesting extracts must be taken : — 
In the centre of the Court as already stated shoots 
up a paim tree whose spreading branches arch over- 
head and add to the picturesque effect of the building. 
At the base of this tres are two trcxjical plants in 
tubs, one is the pepper plant the other is a flue 
specimen of the pine apple — ananassa Sativa. At the 
four corners of the Court are bananas in tubs, coffee 
plants in berry, palms, crotons, largo barrels of raw 
coffee berries and a small barrel of cocoa berries. 
Barrels of sugar are placed at the other corners. 
Coffee. — The specimens of coffee ore arranged on 
shelves, on the east side of the court on the exterior. 
They are the first objects one sees on entering the 
hall and looking to the west; The different coffee 
parishes are well represented. In the centre is a fine 
exhibit sent by Capt. G. G. Taylor, from his Moy 
Hall Estate in the Blue Mountains. This coffee is 
grown at an elevation above 4,000 ieet and competent 
judges state that some of the samples here shown 
are equal to the finest coffee iiroduoed any where. In 
connection with this exhibit we may mention that 
Oapt. Taylor exhibits in the same court a painting 
of his Coffee Plantation works, and also one of his 
Coffee Fields at Moy Hall. These are very character- 
istic views, giving one a true idea of what mountain 
scenery in Jamaica is. There are also fine samples 
from Whitelield Hall, Cold Spring (John McLean), 
and from the various parishes. From St. Catherine 
for instance there are samples from the estate of Mr. 
Thomas Kemp, Mr. Thorp, &c. From Manchester from 
Mr. Wyman, Mr. Elder and Mrs. Martin. St. Andrew 
from Messrs. Henderson, MoOlaverty and Thorp. 
Clarendon from Messrs. Young, Weish, Waddell and 
Logan. St. Mary from Mr. Walker, and a specimen 
of Liberian coffee from Mr. Jenoure, Portland. 
Eice &e, — In the corre.'pondiug drvision on the 
opposite side are exhibits of pimento, nutmegs, and 
cinnamon. There is also an interesting exhibit of rice 
from Dr.Oalder’s fields in Westmoreland, and one from 
Portland, seutby Mr. Thom.as Briscce, 
Cocoa and Kola. — On the eastern shelves is ar- 
ranged a pretty exhibit of cocoa. The seeds are con- 
tained in bottles on either side and in the centre are a 
lot of fine pods, mixed with specimens of the prepared 
cocoa from different . exhibitors. Specimens of Kola 
beans are also shown with the powder. 
Tea seems to have been exhrbited only by the 
Botanical Department. The negroes of Jamaica, 
although more advanced than those of Hayti, have 
not, it appears, yet abandoned their savage and 
degrading superstition of the Obeah ; as the following 
paragraph shows : — 
The article in the “ Victoria Quarterly” on Obeah- 
ism by Inspector Thomas is one of the most sc.ithing 
that has over appeared in that generally very mild 
journal. Inspector Thomas has had exceptional op- 
portunities for studying the superstition and what 
comes from his pen is 8 uretobetru.stworthy, Thepicture 
he draws of the degrading belief is a sad and dis- 
graceful one, aud it lain the hope that his article will 
assist in stamping it out that the Inspector has penned 
it. It will be published in pamphlet form aud sold at 
the Exhibition, where the Inspector has also an exhibit 
of some of the aiticUs taken iromthc practisers of the 
vile art. 
The Christian Church as presented in its state- 
supported form could not, in days of slavery, 
ave been instrumental in superseding such super- 
BtitioDS by a purer faith, as witness the utterances 
ol a candid clergyman regarding the now happily 
disestabliH.hed Church of England: — 
Churchmen are not tin' only men who will wish to 
have the book. Nonconformist will buy it, lead it, and 
learn from it. And tboy will bo pleased to hnd that 
they have in the writer of the sketch of the history of 
the Church of Eogland in Jamaic 1 one who writes with- 
out fear, favour or affectiou out of place. The exclusive 
spirit that wounds, because it ignores the Christian 
work of other people, Mr. Ellis does not cherish. If he 
does, it is not in his book. There is the ring of honesty 
in wh.it he says of this other wo k, and it occurs agaiu 
and again, so that the acknowledgment is full. On the 
other hand Mr. Ellis touches frankly on the short- 
comings and the blots on the early Church of England 
in Jamaica. He is as plaiuspokeii on these, as on the 
good work done by the Nonconformist missionaries. 
In this way and following the thread ol his narrative, 
the reader gets a very fair outline of the history of 
Christian progress in Jamaica, and he learns that that 
progress is real, and better still is assured. 
Mr. Ellis gives bis readers some curious glimpses 
of the clergy in the olden times. 0 . e of bis milacst 
censures is the following; — ‘‘Nor, as we shall pre- 
sently see, were the character tvnd attaiumeuts of 
some of the clergy, licensed by Bishops of London, 
calculated to give the laitj' of Jamaica much confi- 
dence in the tact and judgment of the prelates who 
selected these clergy and licensed them for tlieir sacred 
duties.” In the early part of the 18th ceutury the 
Jamaica Obureh was, he says, “regarded as little more 
than a respectable and ornamental adjunct of the 
State, the surv.val of a harmlesb home institution, 
which would cease to be tolerated if it showed any 
great tigns of energy or activity. At b'-st it repre- 
sented the religion of the white settlers, and cannot 
claim in any real sense to have been a missionary 
church to the black labourers * * * few traces are to 
be found of any marked efforts on the part of the 
church to raise the m ral tone of the s aves, to 
ameliorate their distressful position or to inslruct tht-m 
in the elements of religious truth.” Referring to the 
circum-tancis that must have hemmed in any clergy- 
mau disposed to be active, Mr. Elii .9 observes, •' As 
subsequent events prove, and as no doubt tbe 
planteis auticipated, the inculcation of Christian 
truths should not fail to produce feeling of disaffec- 
tion, and a consciousness of humiliation and ill- 
treatment in tbe minds of the African bondsmen. 
‘ The truth shall make you free,’ and those who were 
opposed to freedom were at any rate consistent in 
withholding tbe truth. It is easier to find fault than 
it is to make allowance, and if the Jamaica clergy 
of the eighteenth century deserve their share of 
blame, they are at least eutitlod to a large and 
charitable allowance in view of the difficult aud un- 
usual circumstances under which they laboured.” A 
contemporary writer is quoted as saying of the 
clergy of that time that the majority of them were 
“ of a character so vile that 1 do not care to men- 
tion it; for, except a few, they are generally the 
most finished of debauchees.” Mr. Ellis then re- 
marks, “The sime writer adds that many of the 
churches wore seldom opened, a fact which only a shsm 
sentiment can regret. There is a sort of pleasure m 
giving these disreputible clergy credit for the posses- 
sion of that amount of grace and of good feeling 
which was sufficient to prompt them to keep their 
shameless persons outside the doors of the houses 
of God.” 
Some startling information is given in reference to 
the administration of the S.acraments of the church. 
“ As an instance,” says Blr. Ellis, “ of how little care 
the legislature took in the religious condition of the 
slaves at this time, we may mention that the fee, 
fixed by law, for administering the f?acrament of Holy 
Baptism tea slave was £1 3s 9 I, a sum large . enough 
to be prohibitory.” Even io this century things were 
in a strange condition. In 1816 when Blr. Blonk 
Lewis Wilson a visit to the island to look after his 
properties, the following incident occurred. “ One 
da> during this visit a slave wished one of his children 
to bo baptised, and, as there was uo clergj man within 
many miles, Air. Jjewis undertook to administer the 
Sacraiueut. The ceremony took place in the dining 
room, Mr. Lewis signing the child’s forehead with the 
sign of the cross, and offering an ex tempore prayer. 
This was followed by the baptismal party giving three 
