742 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIS  F. 
[May  i,  i8g6. 
the  trade.  The  African  nialiogany  trade  is  rapidly 
growing  and  somewhat  injuring  tliat  of  Honduras. 
SIR  KOI5EUT  IIKKUEUT 
(who  made  a most  admirahle  Cliairman)  after 
Dr.  Morris  sat  down,  unexpectedly  called  on  me 
to  speak,  saying:— We  have  Mr.  John  Ferguson 
of  Ceylon  with  ns  this  evening  and  as  he  has 
])aid  much  attention  to  tropical  agriculture,  i>er- 
liaps  he  may  have  something  to  .say  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  ])aper.” 
My  few  remarks  were  as  follows  Sir  Hubert 
Herbert,  ladies  and  gentlemen, — 1 venture  to 
intrude  .solely  with  reference  to  one  ))assage  in 
the  interesting  lecture  to  which  we  have  listened. 
It  is  where  Sir  Geo.  Ibulen  Powell  says: — 
“ I may  here  add  that  tropical  Africa  also  offers  a 
great  arena  for  the  work  of  many  of  our  Indian 
fellow-subjects,  traders,  artisans,  soldiers  and  plant- 
ers. Our  rule  in  India  tends  to  a great  redundancy 
of  population,  and  in  Africa  this  surplus  will  find  a 
useful  and  profitable  field.” 
Some  two  years  ago,  I was  applied  to  by  a pros- 
perous Ceylon  coll'ee  and  tea  i)lanter  for  advice  : 
he  had  To, 000  of  ca]iital  ready  for  investment 
outside  his  plantations  and  he  wished  to  know 
should  he  take  u|)  land  for  coll'ee  in  Java  or  in 
Hritish  Central  Africa.  I advised  a visit  to  tlie 
Shire  Hig'nlands.  Tlie  country  was  inspected  with 
such  satisfactory  result  that  my  friend  took  ui)<a 
large  block,  came  back  and  was  iiuluced  to  form 
a “Nyassaland  Coffee  Co.,  Ld.,”  which  was  sup- 
ported^ by  shrewd  business  and  j)lanting  men  in 
Ceylon,  who  have  sent  over  practical  superinten- 
dents to  open  a coffee  ])lantation.  Tliis,  so  far 
as  I know,  is  the  finest  plantation  comi^any  in  that 
part  of  Africa  and  it  owes  its  initiation  to,  and 
lias  its  hoadquarters  notin  London  but  in,  Ceylon — 
so  establishing  a bond  of  union  between  our  leading 
Asiatic  Colony  and  Central  Africa.  Ceylon  long 
before  this  had  given  Sir  Henry  Johnston  his 
first  working  Horticulturist  and  IJotanist,  sur- 
veyors and  some  jilanters.  The  pioneer  of  collee 
was  Mr.  Huchanan,  a Mission  Agent  ; but  he 
Was  now  followed  by  Ceylon  men,  and  if  the 
present  new  administration  is  continued,  roads 
opened  and  railways  encouraged,  we  may  look 
for  tlie  speedy  development  of  British  Central  and 
East  Africa— and  more  particularly  of  Nyassaland. 
There  is  a growing  demand  for  Collee  ^ both 
in  America  and  Europe  though  not  in  the  United 
kingdom,  and  no  present  fear  of  over-production, 
and  Africa  is  the  indigenous  home  of  Collee. 
Keferring  to  the  latest  news  from  Nyassaland, 
t mentioned  how  the  Manager  of  the  Company 
liad  reported  coffee  plantations  paying  20  per  cent 
return  in  their  4th  year  j and  in  contrast  with 
Sierra  Leone  where  tlie  Chief  Justice  had  said 
native  labour  had  risen  to  H per  day.  1 quoted 
Mr.  G,  M.  Crabbe  as  naming  the  equivalent  in 
calico  of  2,1  a month  for  men.  Is  6c^  women  and 
Is  for  children  as  the  wages  ]>aid  1 This  con- 
stituted a perfect  paradise  for  cheap  labour,  even 
when  compared  with  the  12  million  of  people  in 
Southern  India  who  were  content  if  they  earned 
2s  6rl  a week  for  family  of  live. 
The  Governor  of  St.  Helena  (the  smallest  but 
not  least  interesting  British  Dependency)  wound 
p the  discussion  _ tr 
Next  day  I met  by  h is  f ppointment,  Mr.  H. 
T.  Hartley,  one  of  tiie  Dire<  tors  of  the 
“INDIAN  AND  CEYLON  ExlUIUTION  OF  1896.” 
who  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Wickremasinghe 
of  the  British  Museum.  No  one  can  come  into 
contact  with  Mr.  Hartley  without  forming  a 
hi'di  opinion  of  his  business  capiacity  and 
sterling  good  sense  ; and  I was  disappointed 
iQ  leai'H  that  the  Ceylon  Govcrniuent  before 
the  advent  of  your  new  Governor  had  de- 
cided adversely  on  the  point  of  making 
a Loan  Collection  illustrative  of  Native  In- 
dustries and  of  lending  any  buildings  available  from 
Chicago,  the  Tea  Kiosk  lor  instance.  As  the 
Company  are  ready  to  bear  the  ex])etise  of  trans- 
port, Ac.,  1 trust  il.E.  Governor  Bidgeway  will 
reconsider  tins  decision  in  a sense  favourable  to 
the  Exhibition  and  uJuat  I believe  to  be  the  best 
interests,  of  the  Colony.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
of  the  grand  ailvertisemeiit  for  Ceylon,  her  pro- 
ducts and  industries  which  the  Exhibition  will 
allord,  and  1 trust,  therefore,  that  the  Blanters’ 
Association  or  Thirty  Committee  will  see  that 
a good  exhibit  of  Ceylon  leas,  collee  and  cacao 
is  made  ; while  ]dumbago, cinnamon  oil,  etc.,  ought 
to  come  from  the  Colombo  merchants.  I have 
asked  for  a co]iy  of  the  ollicial  letter  to  Govern- 
ment which,  however,  you  may  already  have  seen 
in  the  Gazette.  If  not,  here  it  is  : — 
Ijondon,  21th  January  1896. 
The  lion,  the  Colonial  yecretary,  Colombo,  Ceylon. 
Sir,-.-We  have  the  honour  to  address  you,  having 
received  a communication  from  Sir  Robert  Meade 
notifying  us  that  the  Colonial  Oftice  has  sent 
out  a despatch  to  your  Government,  respecting  this 
Company’s  forthcoming  Exhibition  ; — 
Empire  of  India  and  Ceylon  Exhibition,  1896 
including  other  Crown  Dependencies  in  Asia. 
We  understand  that  this  despatch  has  teen  supple- 
mented with  a copy  of  the  Report  of  the  Empire 
of  India  Exhibition  of  1895,  together  with  our  various 
printed  matter  in  connection  with  the  forthcoming 
Exhibition  of  1896. 
A perusal  of  the  Report  w'lll  we  think  convince 
your  Government  of  both  the  ability  of  this  Com- 
pany to  adequately  carry  out  their  scheme  for  the 
forthcoming  season  as  well  as  convey  some  idea  of 
the  substantial  commercial  advantages  likely  to  re- 
sult from  co-operation  therewith. 
We  feel  that  our  enterprise  should  commend  itself 
to  your  Government  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
Empire  of  India  Exhibition  1895  was  a purely  ten- 
tative effort,  and  the  first  time  that  any  undertaking 
of  this  nature  has  been  carried  to  a successful  issue 
unaided  by  a Government  giant. 
Now  that  the  Conqiauy  have  practically  proved 
their  capabilities,  they  trust  that  your  Government 
may  be  so  good  as  to  extend  to  them  their  cordial 
assistance,  and  also  permit  themselves  in  some  way 
or  other  to  officially  recognise  this  enterprise,  (a  re- 
cognition which  has  been  accorded  by  the  Indian 
Oftice)  without  which  W’e  fully  appreciate  that  no 
commercial  undertaking  like  our  own  can  meet 
with  any  substantial  adhesion. 
The  Directors  aie  now  in  a position  to  state  that 
the  prominence  given  at  the  late  Exhibition  to  Ii  . 
dial!  products,  especially  to  Indian  tea  and  tobacco 
proved  a direct  benefit  to  Indian  trade,  to  the  ex- 
tent of  not  less  than  j£75,000.  We  think  that  such 
results,  achieved  by  a private  Company,  without  the 
slightest  charge  against  Indian  revenues,  compares 
most  favourably  with  those  of  the  Colonial  and 
Indian  Exhibition  of  1886. 
Although  such  a large  measure  of  success  has 
attended  the  efforts  of  this  Company,  it  is  still  felt 
that  India  was  but  inadequately  represented,  and 
that  nothing  like  justice  was  done  to  her. 
This  consideration  has  largely  influenced  this 
Company  in  deciding  to  continue  the  Empire 
of  India  Exhibition  tliis  year,  and  rendering  the 
s line  more  important  and  interesting  bj^  the  in- 
clusion of  Ceylon  and  our  Asian  Crown  Colonies,  thus 
giving  a more  complete  idea  of  their  almost  inex- 
haustible economic  resources. 
Briefly,  the  following  are  the  principal  matters  and 
s iggestions  to  whiclr  we  are  desirous  of  drawing  the 
attention  of  your  Government. 
1.  Buildings.— It  is  intended  to  devote  a large 
space  for  the  erection  of  buildings  of  Ceylon  Archi- 
tecture, and  also  to  set  aside  a considerable  area  in 
the  Queen’s  Palace  for  a Ceyloo  Court  for  Siuhalese 
exhibitors, 
^ 4 
