Oct.  I,  189S.J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
275 
TEA  SHIPMENTS  EKOM  AMOY. 
A consular  report  dealing  with  the  exports  from 
Amoy  states,  that  the  total  tea  export  and  re-export 
to  foreign  countries,  which,  during  the  year  in  cpies- 
tion,  as  in  the  previous  year,  consisted  almost  en- 
tirely of  Formosa  Oolongs,  for  the  period  from  Jan. 
1st  to  July  31st  amounted  to  13, 50.), 4971b.  against 
7, 159, 0851b.  for  a corresponding  period  last  year' — that 
is,  an  increase  of  approximately  47  per  ceirt. 
These  figures,  however,  do  not  present  a really  ac- 
curate statement  of  the  condition  of  the  trade,  inas- 
much as  a very  large  quantity  of  stock  was  remaining 
over  from  last  year’s  supply,  and,  contrary  to  the 
usual  custom  of  the  port,  considerable  shipments 
took  place  iir  the  early  months  of  the  year.  The 
figures  from  the  commencement  of  the  season,  up 
to  Aug.  6th  as  given  in  a report  published  by 
the  Amoy  Chamber  of  Commerce,  nevertheless 
showed  a considerable  increase  in  the  amount  of 
tea  shipped  during  the  season — namely,  6,543,7491b. 
against  5,432,840  lb.  for  the  corresponding  period  in 
1893.  This  increase  of  about  17  per  cent  was  justly 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  tea  season  commenced  some- 
what earlier  than  usual,  and  also  to  the  brisk  demand 
in  the  American  markets,  in  view  of  the  possibility 
of  the  export  being  temporarily  stopped  should  For- 
mosa fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Japanese.  The 
shipments  continued  to  the  end  of  the  season,  and 
the  total  export  of  tea  for  the  year  was  5,811,428  lb. 
in  e.xcess  of  last  year’s  export,  Formosa  tea  showing 
an  increase  of  5,246,411  lb,  It  will  be  understood 
how  large  a bulk  of  the  tea  from  this  port  is  ex- 
ported to  America,  when  it  is  slated  that  78'49per 
cent  of  the  total  tea  trade  was  with  the  United  States 
market.  The  quantities  of  the  three  classes  of  tea 
produced  in  1894  was  : — Oolong,  26,561,388  lb. ; Pou- 
chong,  1,500,108  lb.;  Souchong,  18,325  lb.;  total, 
28,079,821  lb 
» 
LADY  I5LAKE  OF  JAMAICA 
is  a frequent  writer  in  magazines.  Her  latest 
paper  so  far  a.s  we  know  is  entitled  “A  Day 
in  Barbadoes”  published  in  “ Timeliri  ” — the 
Britisli  Guiana  half-yearly  journal — received  by 
last  mail.  The  article  covers  some  25  page.s  and 
is  well-written  ; but  a considerable  iiortion  is 
taken  up  with  .an  historic.al  retrospect.  Lady 
Blake  does  not  .seem  to  ha\'e  had  on  this  occa- 
sion a pleasant  experience  of  voyaging  or  steamer. 
She  writes  : — 
After  crossing  the  Atlantic  from  Southampton 
to  the  West  Indies — a voyage  which,  under  the 
moat  favourable  circumstances  is  wearisome  and 
tedious  to  a degree — it  must  be  a very  morose  in- 
dividual indeed,  who  fails  to  be  pleased  with  the 
first  sight  of  the  bright  little  island  of  Barbados, 
glittering  with  greenness,  and  looking  like  a great 
emerald  rising  out  of  a sapphire  sea.  It  is  a relief 
to  look  forward  to  an  escape  of  even  a few  hours 
from  the  discomfort  of  the  steamer,  which,  since  the 
anchor  has  beeji  down,  have  become  so  aggravated — 
what  with  the  maddening  noise  of  the  steam  winches 
and  the  unendurable  heat  caused  by  the  steam  being 
turned  into  the  pipes  that  work  them — that  one 
cannot  help  thinking  that  the  early  Christians  paid 
the  Church  a very  j)oor  compliment  when  they 
typified  it  as  a ship  ; had  they  been  acquainted 
with  the  horrors  of  a modern  steamer  taking  in 
cargo  in  Carlisle  Bay,  the  ship  would  no  doubt 
have  been  handed  down  to  us  as  the  typo  of  the 
nether  regions. 
Before  leaving  the  stuffy  cabin  where  so  many 
wretched  hours  have  been  passed,  it  is  advisable 
carefully  to  fasten  the  port-liole.  Boats  innumer- 
able swarm  round  the  ships,  and  it  is  by  no  means 
uncommon  for  a brawmy  brown  arm  to  be  inserted 
through  the  cabin-window,  in  search  of  any  goods 
or  chattels  that  may  be  w'ithin  reach,  sometimes  a 
thick  hooked  wire  being  used  to  tioh  uj)  any  bag 
or  garment  beyond  reach  of  the  hand.  It  is  amus- 
ing to  see  the  crowds  of  boats  of  all  sizes  and  des- 
erptiens  surrounding  Jbe  great  bar- 
ges, waiting  to  land  cargo,  to  tiny  little  craft  very 
inuch  the  size  and  shape  of  floating  coffins,  contain- 
ing a couple  of  diving  boys  eagerly  calling  to  the 
passengers  to  fling  coppers  to  dive  for.  Making  one’s 
way  as  best  one  can  down  the  ricketty  ship’s  ladder 
that  scv'ays  uncomfortably  over  the  .side,  it  is  a re- 
lief to  find  oneself  ensconced  in  one  of  the  boats, 
and  after  a pud  of  about  half  a mile  over*  the  blue 
waters  of  the  bay,  it  is  delightful  to  find  one’s  feet 
once  more  on  solid  land. 
From  the  sea  Barbados  looks  not  unlike  the  “ Little 
England,”  she  proudly  calls  herself.  Fields  of 
sugar-cane  seen  from  afar  resemble  pastures  numbers 
of  w'ind-mills  crown  the  gentle  slopes,  and  clumps 
of  trees  when  looked  at  from  the  distance  of  a 
couple  of  miles  or  so,  appear  much  the  same 
whether  they  be  mahogany  or  ash,  sea-grapes  or 
alders. 
The  Barbadians,  or  “ Bims  ” as  they  are  some- 
times termed,  are  often  laughed  at  b\'  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  other  West  India  islands  for  their 
patriotic  devotion  to  their  island  but  they  have  good 
grounds  for  pride  in  themselves  and  in  their  little 
spot  of  earth,  for  though  in  size  and  scenery  ii  can 
claim  no  pre-eminence,  its  history  is  second  in  in- 
terest to  that  of  hardly  any  other  colony,  and  affords 
many  striking  pictures  of  loyalty,  pluck  and  energy, 
often  displayed  under  circumstances  of  much  peril 
and  difficulty. 
Then  follow  some  11  iiages  of  past  history,  which 
wo  skift  in  order  to  get  at  the  more  interesting 
parts 
Having  only  a few  hours  to  spend  in  the  island  wo 
could  not  hope  for  more  than  a'cursory  glimpse  of  it. 
It  was  with  great  pleasure  wo  availed  ourselves  of  the 
kind  invitation  of  the  Governor  and  Lady  Hay  to 
accompany  them  on  an  expedition  by  special  train 
to  the  south  west  of  the  i.sland,  which  as  the  rail- 
road runs  right  across,  would  give  us  an  opportunity 
of  getting  a general  impression  of  its  characteristics. 
The  capital,  Bridgetown,  is  clean  and  picturesque,  no 
sleepy  worn-out  place,  with  weed-choked  streets  and 
lazy  inhabitants,  such  as  West  Indian  towns  are 
sometimes  depicted.  The  shops  are  commodious  and 
well  stocked,  the  hum  of  business  is  on  all  sides. 
Tram-cars  run  along  the  principal  streets,  which 
are  thronged  with  busy,  chattering  crowds  of  men, 
women  and  children ; unkempt  donkeys,  carrying 
great  loads,  and  drays  of  sugar,  picturesque  with 
many  mules  that  form  the  team,  the  drivers  cracking 
very  formidable-looking  whips.  The  women  are  mostly 
dressed  in  white,  their  heads  being  bound  in  white 
handkerchiefs  very  becoming  to  their  dai-k  skins. 
The  houses  are  small  and  low,  but  generally  neat, 
and  altogether  the  town  has  a thriving,  contented 
appearance.  We  passed  a tavern  with  pink  walls, 
on  which  were  depicted  sprays  of  inebriated  looking 
roses ; it  bore  the  name  of  the  “ Bose  of  Devon,” 
and  the  petition  in  large  letters  to  “ Heave  to.” 
The  suburbs  of  Bridgetown,  through  which  the  rail- 
way runs,  are  not  prepossessing.  The  houses  are  so 
sinall  that  they  resemble  sentry  boxe.s  more  than  habita- 
tions, and  are  many  of  them  in  a very  tumble-down 
condition  ; they  are  crowded  closely  together,  and  the 
fences  and  yards  look  shattering  and  neglected.  Evi- 
dently the  inhabitants  have  little  cash,  tin. e or  incli- 
nation to  bestow  on  such  minor  matters  as  lepa  ring 
or  adorning  their  dwellings.  Jiarbados  is  more  thickly 
populated  per  acre  than  any  other  spot  of  earth,  not 
excluding  China.  The  negroes  have  there  to  encounter 
the  hard  struggle  lor  existence  from  which  their 
brethren  in  the  other  islands  are  exempt,  and 
in  conseqence  are  hard  working  as  the  stern- 
est of  po.iti'al  economists  would  desire.  But  the 
islaiid  is  small,  the  population  very  large,  the 
profits  from  sugar  cultivation  arc  diminishing  and 
wages  consequently  arc  low.  Barbados  has  all  her 
eggs  in  one  basket,  and  one  cannot  help  wonder- 
ing, when  hearing  of  diseased  cane  and  falling-markets, 
what  would  become  of  the  place  should  any  number  of 
the  estates  be  ” thrown  up.”  Barbados  altogether 
gives  one  a difl’orent  impression  from  that  one  usu- 
ally expects  from  a West  Indian  island.  It  is  not 
“ A place  for  idle  eyes  and  ears, 
A cobwebbed  nook  of  dreams,’* 
