530 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  I,  1896. 
Congo  Company,  which  interested  itself  largely  in 
ivory,  and  succeeded  in  re-establishing  the  trade  at 
Antwerp  on  a firm  basis,  and  this  town  now  bids 
fair  to  become  the  first  ivory  market  of  Europe.  It 
is  said  to  have  already  out-distanced  Liverpool  and 
to  rival  London  in  importance. 
It  will  thus  be  observed  that  the  ivory  trade 
owes  its  revival  almost  entirely  to  the  Congo,  a 
fact  which  is  proved  by  noting  how  insignificant 
are  the  importations  of  ivory  into  Antwerp  from 
all  sources  except  from  that  territory.  Blore- 
over,  the  markets  of  London  and  Liverpool,  which 
formerly  monopolised  the  ivory  tr.ide  of  Europe, 
could  not  have  found  a formidable  rival  in  Antwerp 
had  it  not  been  for  the  regular  communications  be- 
tween Belgium  and  the  African  coast,  which  were 
established  in  couseciuence  of  the  intimate  relations 
existing  between  this  country  and  the  Free  State. 
The  following  are  the  retrrrns  of  ivory  imports 
since  1888,  the  year  iu  which  the  trade  in  that  com- 
modity commenced  to  assume  importance  ; — 
Year.  . . . . Quantity. 
1888  . . . . (i,400  Kilos. 
1889  ..  ..  40,900  ,, 
1890  ..  ..  77,500  „ 
1891  . . . . 59,500  „ 
1892  ..  ..  118,000  „ 
1893  . . . . 221,000  „ 
1894  ..  ..  264,500  „ 
or  a total  of  796,500  kilos.,  or  786i  tons  for  the  seven 
years,  representing  a value  of  18,000,000  francs,  or  say, 
£720,000  sterling. 
During  the  first  eight  months  of  the  current  year 
the  figures  representing  the  ivory  imports  have  shown 
a notable  increase,  namely,  514,482  kilos.,  against 
264,500  kilos,  for  the  entire  year  of  1894. 
With  regard  to  the  total  sales  of  ivory  in  the 
United  Kingdom  and  at  Antwerp,  the  following 
returns  may  be  thought  of  interest : — 
In  1894,  376  tons,  of  which  205  tons  were  fresh  im- 
ports, and  the  remainder  the  residue  of  the  stock  of 
1893,  were  sold  at  London,  60  tons  at  Liverpool,  and 
180  tons  at  Antwerp. 
During  1895,  219  tons,  of  which  130  tons  wore  fresh 
importations,  have  been  sold  at  London,  43  tons  at 
Liverpool,  and  203  tons  at  Antwerp. 
Tlic  sales  of  ivory  during  tlie  present  year  took 
place  at  Antwerp  on  three  separate  occasions,  and 
the  prices  ranged  between  5 francs  and  30  francs 
per  kilo.  (24  lb.)  according  to  quality. 
THE  TINTS  OF  PEARL. 
We  have  been  taught  to  believe  that  the  beautiful 
iridescence  of  pearls  and  mother-of-pearl  is  caused 
by  striations  or  fine  grooves  on  the  surface  of  the 
nacre,  just  as  the  iris  of  a dove's  neck  is  due  to  the 
striations  of  the  plumage  ; but  according  to  Mr.  C. 
E.  Benham,  although  a little  of  the  colour  is  pro- 
duced in  this  way,  most  of  it  is  caused  by  inter- 
ference of  the  rays  of  light  by  reflection  from  the 
outer  and  inner  surfaces  of  the  thin  layers  of  nacre 
forming  the  substance  of  the  pearl.  The  colours  of 
a pearl  have  therefore  a similar  origin  to  those  of  a 
soa])  bubble,  or  the  iridescence  of  ancient  glass  which 
has  been  scaled  by  time. — I'lihlic  O/tlnion,  Dee.  27. 
BRITISH  NORTH  BORNEO. 
(From  the  IJri/ivU  North  Borneo  J/rrahty  Deo.  Uitli.) 
H E.  the  Owvenior  returned  from  a \ isit  to 
Jjabuan  on  tlie  7tli  pei  , ss.  “'J'eresa,"  luiving  left 
this  on  IStli  November. 
Caiitain  I’insun  has  begun  outti?ig  hillian  at 
Dravel  Bay  tlius  tapping  a new  source  of  snpi»ly 
of  tills  v.aluahle  timber. 
It  is  .satisfactory  to  note  tiiat  good  tob.acco  laud 
lias  been  found  on  the  East  Coast  in  a locality 
as  yet  untried  by  foreign  enterprize.  We  under- 
stand that  a grant  has  lieen  applied  lor. 
Weaieglad  to  hear  that  planting  enteipiize  i.^ 
pn  the  inaease.  Tlie  agent  of  some  gentlemen 
at  home  is  putting  in  hemp  on  the  south  side  of 
Sandakan  Bay  and  they  appear  to  meditate  an 
exten.sive  trial. 
A linn  of  good  po.sition  at  one  of  the  South 
China  Treaty  Ports  is  ofl'ering  to  supply  eoolies  of 
the  class  so  greatly  in  favour  with  planters 
at  a cost  of  $2o  per  head  f.o.b.  ,‘Vs  the  addi- 
tional cost  of  [lassage  money  should  not  e.xceed 
•?S  or  lU,  the  proposition  may  be  worth  attention. 
Further  particulars  can  be  learned  on  application 
to  the  Editor. 
Ur.  Beelhorst  reiiorts  on  Nov.  23rd  that  he  had 
arrived  at  the  river  Bole  and  was  able  to  say 
that  there  is  a very  large  area  of  auriferous 
gravel  on  both  sides  of  the  ri\  er.  He  is  located  a 
little  above  the  junction  wdth  the  Tuak.  A few 
days  later  he  found  the  auriferous  limestone 
and  amphilogite  and  thinks  so  highly  of  the 
country  that  he  is  desirous  of  opening  abetter 
road  to  it  at  once. 
We  are  glad  to  note  that  a large  number  of 
residents  are  keeping  their  eyes  open  for  possible 
mineralogical  iinds.  Some  dozen  or  more  speci- 
mens have  been  sent  to  the  Mu.seum  or  Ur. 
Seelhorst  during  the  past  month,  one  of  which  — 
asbestos — may  prove  of  value  should  the  com- 
mercial article  be  found  underlying  the  rough 
outcrop  from  which  the  first  specimens  were 
obtained.  Enquiries  on  such  matters  are  con- 
stantly made  by  natives  from  the  Hon.  Curator  of 
the  Museum. 
Collecting  specimens  of  natural  history  seems 
to  have  “caught  on”  .amongst  our  limited  com- 
munity some  ei<>ht  or  nine  ladies  and  gentlemen 
being  interested  in  buttertiies,  insects,  shells, 
&c.,  A'c.  As  British  North  Borneo  h.as  a plenti- 
ful fauna  ami,  inobably,  specimens  new  to 
science,  w’e  shall  doubtless  hear  before  long  of  a 
few  discoveries.  In  one  house  over  forty  species 
of  moth  were  captured  in  a single  evening  between 
7 and  10  ]).m. 
Mr.  G.  Mac  U.  Ennis  arrived  by  the  “ Banjer- 
mas.sin  ” on  the  13th  Nov.  to  take  up  his  duties  as 
Acting  Reddent,  ai  d has  with  the  Resident  made 
a tour  I'ound  the  tobacco  and  coifee  estates. 
PL.4NTING  NOTES 
Byte. — Plenty  of  rain,  coffee  cropping  feely 
parchment  pis.  83.60  for  month.  Doing  up  roads 
and  paths  .sirpplying and  erecting  a drying  chamber. 
More  pickers  arrived  on  estate  inchuling  a gang 
of  .fapanese.  Coffee  blossoming  almost  continu- 
ally ; ((uestion  if  it  sets  owing  to  the  continuous 
rain.  Cocoanuts,  two  of  the  smaller  kind  showing 
fruit  spaths,  jilanted  October  1803,  26  months  of 
age.  Cocoa  very  promising.  Apidication  for  a fur- 
tlier  180  acres  of  land. 
K.mieei. — Much  rain,  coffee  dillicultlo  dry;  crop 
for  month  pandiment,  pis.  16.67. 
Loone  I’lA.SOW. — Cro])  parchment  pis.  2.88,  heavy 
lliisli  of  blossom. 
Tlie  heavy  rains  .are  naturally  int  erfering  with  the 
cotton  crop,  although  the  trees  at  the  Park  Re.serve 
.uid  Race-coiiroe  are  in  good  bearing.  Meanwhile 
the  jiresent  backwardness  will  he  atoned  for  by  tbc 
larger  yield  which  may  be  expected  when  the  rainy 
season  is  over. 
T E A - P ES  T I N EST I CAT  1 ( ) N S. 
The  promised  ie\el>itions  by  Dr.  Geo.  tVatt,  c.i.ic., 
with  regal'd  to  the.  dnfereiit  pests  affecting  the  tea  hush 
ill  Assoni  appear  to  have  suddenly  come  to  a dead 
■stop,  and  it  seems  ritther  niggardly  on  the  part  of 
Government  to  step  iu  at  the  eleventh  hour  and  pre- 
vent their  publication  after  whetting  the  lips  ot  ex- 
pectant tea  planters  for  mouths.  So  far  we  are  told 
a few  generalipms,  which  makes  no  addition  fo  our 
