t58 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICUL'I'URIST. 
[Sept.  2,  1895. 
fjondon,  L')lh  March  1077  ""fi]. — Our  President  and 
Councell  at  Siiratt. — . . . Wee  rocomeud  to  you  the 
procuring  ua  wuat  quantities  you  can  of  tile  Sorts 
of  Cassia  Ligniiin  formerly  written  for,  and  canot 
beleeve  but  you  may  procure  some  for  us,  as  easily 
as  the  ( omauders  doe  tor  themselves,  which  they 
could  not  doe  but  by  yor  Permission  or  at  least 
connivance,  wee  would  have  you  obtain  some  Plants 
of  Tramboone  Cinainon  and  Cassia  Lignum  as  also 
Pepper  and  send  them  to  St.  Helena  and  Bombay 
with  directions  for  the  Planting  and  ordering  them. 
(.\t  tlie  same  time  the  Company  wrote  to  their 
Agent  and  Council  .at  Bantam  to  .send  clove  aiul 
nutmeg  plants  to  St.  Helena.)  In  the  ne\t  ex- 
tract the  Ceylon  captives  are  referred  to  first, 
hut  the  most  stress  is  laid  on  the  procuring  of 
cinnamon  plants  : — 
London,  3rd  .January,  1678-9. — Our  Agent  & Councell 
at  Fuit  St.  (Jeorge. — . . . Wee  must  still  (and 
nlwaies)  remindeyou  to  use  all  possible  endeavours  for 
redemption  of  the  poor  English  Captives  from  the 
King  of  Candy,  and  would  have  you  omitt  no  Invention 
for  procuring  Cinainon  Plants  to  be  sent  as  for- 
merly directed,  with  great  care,  and  the  rather 
because  (though  it  be  a small  thing)  it  may  in  con- 
sequence prove  a great  advantage  to  your  native 
Country;  One  piece  of  a Sugar  Cane  canded  by  a 
Madera  Ship  to  Barbadoes  was  the  first  cause  of 
that  Plantation  and  manufacture  of  Sugar,  and  that 
within  the  memory  of  some  yet  living. 
The  accuracy  of  the  last  .statement  I (lannot 
verify.  The  last  extract  on  this  subject  is  as 
follows  ; — 
London  April  22th,  1681. — Our  President  & Councel 
at  Surat. — ...  '1  here  is  also  another  matter 
of  Nationall  concernment  as  relating  to  our  owne 
interest,  which  must  in  most  especial  manner  rc- 
oomend  to  your  assistance  our  care  and  invention 
vizt.  The  procuring  for  us  by  all  possible  contri- 
vance very  great  quantities  of  Cassia  Lignum  Cina- 
mon  Tramboone  & Cinamon  Lamatt,  which  is  the  best 
expedient  we  can  think  of  to  keep  downe  the  exor- 
bitant price  of  the  Dutch  force  England  and  all 
other  Nations  to  pay  for  Cinamon  since  they  were 
masters  of  the  sole  trade  of  Zeilone,  wherefoi’e  to 
coinpasse  all  that  is  possible  of  those  bastard  kinds 
of  Cinamon  if  our  Stock  should  fall  short  you  may 
take  up  money,  and  for  price  shall  not  limit  you, 
knowing  you  will  use  this  liberty  with  justice  and 
discretion. 
.\t  the  .same  time  the  Agent  and  Council  at 
Bantam  were  instructed  to  buy  at  any  price  all 
the  “ c,a.ssia  lignum”  they  could  get,  and  send 
it  home  ; .and  to  continue  this  until  countermanded. 
In  the  Court  Book  of  the  Company  .a  few  years 
later  the  following  entry  appears  — 
1.5th  October  1685. — Resolved,  that  the  owners  and 
Commanders  of  y«  Compa  shipping  be  permitted  to 
bring  home  Cinamon  of  the  growth  of  Ceylon  free 
of  stated  damage. 
.So  mncli  for  cinnamon. 
.\s  to  TE.V,  there  are  many  references  in  the 
Company's  books  to  this  commodity.  Here  is  one, 
in  which  the  [nice  mextioned  will  make  Ceylon 
[danters  sigh  for  the  “ good  old  days”  ; — 
8th  Sept,  1675. — It  i,s  ordered  that  a warrt  be 
made  out  for  payment  of  ye  moneys  due  to  the  Go- 
vernor for  pots  of  Thea  by  him  presented  to  several 
persons  of  quality  for  ye  compa  service,  as  also  for 
3 pots  D.D.  to  Mr.  Harris  for  ye  Compa  own  use, 
weighing  in  all  74lb  : 14oz  : i after  ye  rate  of  20s  per 
lb.  according  to  a report  now  read  and  approved. 
In  one  of  their  letters  to  Bant. am,  the  Conip.any 
re  |uest  IW  lb.  of  good  te.a  to  be  sent  (“  no  trash' ) 
for  their  own  use,  properly  packed. 
The  conversation  turning  on 
CEYl.O.V  TEA. 
one  of  the  members  of  the  Council  (who  is  also 
a . member  of  the  Council  of  the  Iloyal  Asiatic 
Society),  said  that  he  w.as  very  fond  of  cold  te.a, 
]but  found  tli,at  it  alw.a^-s  turned  thick.  He  had 
.asked  pl.antoi.s  fora  remedy;  but  could  learn  of 
none,  except  llie  addition  of  more  water.  Per- 
baps  some  of  your  readers  may  be  able  to  sug- 
gest a eure. 
A meeting  of  the  Royal  A.siatic  Society  w.as 
held  last  Tuosd.ay,  when  the  Secretary  rearl  .a 
paper  by  Hofratu  Georg  Biililer,  c.l.E. , r.il.D., 
on  “ ruture  Arclueological  Explorations  in 
India.”  In  this  the  writer  dejirecated  the  abandon- 
ment by  the  Indian  Government  of  arclncological 
e.xqiloratioiis  v'v'c.  ; and  urged  the  coiiliuiiig  of 
work  to  the  mo.st  imjiortant  sites.  The  K.  A- 
Society  was  asked  to  move  the  Iiidi.aii  Govern- 
ment in  this  matter.  In  the  subsequent  discus- 
sion Dr.  Leitner,  Mr.  B.  .Sewell  and  others  took 
part,  the  former  at  gre.at  length  veiy  discur- 
sively. Ceylon  Buddhists  may  be  interested  to 
learn,  that,  in  Dr.  Leitner's  opinion,  the  maliant 
at  Bmldlia  Gayii  is  the  best  possible  person  to 
be  in  charge  ot  the  Maliii  Bodlii  teni[)le. 
I).  w.  F. 
Croydon,  .June  14tli. 
THE  CAMPHUR  TRADE  :-EORMOSA  AND 
KOBE. 
The  Orient  for  Orientals  and  .Japan  for  the  Japa- 
nese is  a cry  among  merchants  of  this  country  which 
must  not  be  lost  sight  of  in  considering  the  question, 
Formosa  now  being  a part  of  this  Empire,  the  .Japanese 
are  fairly  entitled  to  make  the  best  of  it  in  their 
own  interests.  Already  preparations  are  being  made 
to  lay  a cable  from  .Japan  to  l''ormosa,  and  regular 
steamers  will  shortly  be  running  to  the  island,  proving 
that  Japan  intends  to  monopolize  the  trade  if  that 
be  found  possible. 
It  will  be  learned  with  interest  that  Admiral  Ka- 
bayama,  the  Governor-General  of  Formosa,  has 
already  been  approached  by  .Japanese  merchants 
interested  in  the  camphor  trade  and  desirous 
of  extending  their  operations  to  the  South,  with 
a view  to  obtaining  permission  to  explore  tlie 
camphor  woods.  His  Excellency  was,  however, 
so  exclusively  occupied  with  strategical  and 
political  considerations  that  he  was  unable  to  make 
any  reply.  It  is,  however,  assumed  by  those  who 
are  in  a position  to  have  accurate  information  that 
the  camphor  woods  in  Formosa,  most  of  which  are 
in  the  hands  of  the  State,  will  be  placed  under  strict 
control  by  the  Government.  It  is  a fact  not  gene- 
rally known  that  there  are  large  tracts  of  country 
in  Japan  covered  with  camphor  trees  which  are  yet 
practically  untouched.  These,  however,  belong  to  the 
Government,  while  the  trees  in  the  hands  of  private 
owners  are  rapidly  dwindling  in  number  and  those 
remaining  are  in  almost  inaccessible  mountain  regions, 
where  there  is  little  or  no  water  for  distilling  pur- 
poses. The  Government  forests  are  strictly  protected, 
only  the  felling  of  old  tiees  being  here  and 
there  permitted,  although  it  is  generally  be- 
lieved that  the  axe  of  wood-poachers  is  not 
altogether  absent.  It  has  been  the  policy 
of  the  Government  for  several  years  to  rigorously 
preserve  its  quasi-virgin  forests,  botli  for  the  general 
good  of  the  country  and  in  view  of  its  own  future 
wants,  such  as  for  naval  yards  and  so  forth. 
Now  to  apply  these  facts  to  Formosa,  it  is  sugges- 
ted that  the  Government  may  adopt  similar  methods 
with  reg.ird  to  the  caniiihor  woods  there.  Admiral 
Kabayania,  the  Governor-General,  being  a nav.il  man, 
will  doubtless  bear  in  mind  the  necessity  for  preserv- 
ing trees  with  a view  to  the  wants  of  the  navy — a 
matter  which  will  bo  of  the  greater  importance, 
if  as  is  rumoured,  a groat  naval  port  is  to 
be  established  at  the  Pescadores.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
it  is  but  reasonable  to  assume  that  in  Formosa  forest 
culture  will  henceforth  be  conducted  on  the 
same  lines  as  in  .Japan.  Those  Japanese 
who  are  most  inlerostetl  in  the  development 
of  Formosa  believe  that  no  camphor  will  bo  forth- 
coming thence  for  at  least  a year  after  the  Japanese 
occupation  is  completed, — perliaps  longer, — aud  that 
no  cutting  of  trees  will  be  permitted  until  the  politi* 
