THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
41 
jULV"  I,  1896. 
COFFEE  IN  NORTH  EORNEO. 
Mr.  Henry  Walker  writes  to  us; — I visited  Mr- 
Edward  Walker’s  estate  in  Moiudu  Bay  on  the 
•1th  May.  I was  staying  at  Toritipan  coffee 
estate  lelonging  to  the  Borneo  Coffee  Company,  when 
Mr.  Walker  came  over  to  visit  the  managej’,  Mr. 
Schuck,  and  I was  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  of 
visiting  a coffee  estate  opened  by  a Ceylon  planter. 
We  left  Toritipan  early  in  the  morning  and  were  ac- 
companied to  the  estate  landing  place  hy  the  Messrs. 
Schuck  who  had  supplied  us  with  a good  sailing  boat 
(and  four  coolies)  in  which  we  dropped  down  the  small 
creek  which  runs  about  a mile  and  a half  to  the  sea, 
at  the  entrance  into  which  stands  the  Toritipan  vil- 
lage. We  had  a fair  wind,  and  putting  up  the  nipa-leaf 
sail  wc  soon  passed  the  police  station  at  Taujong 
Batu,  where  the  contract  steamer  “ Norniauhupt  ” 
calls  four  times  a month  on  her  coasting  trips,  and  hy 
twelve  o’clock  we  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Menpa- 
kad  river,  v\hich  runs  through  Mr.  Walker’s  estate. 
We  landed  at  the  Campoug  of  Bajows,  who  are  the 
fishermen  of  Borneo,  and  proceeded  along  a bridle 
track,  and  up  the  rising  land  on  which  the  estate 
stands,  and  reached  the  bungalow  in  twenty  minutes.  I 
w'ent  down  to  the  stream  at  once  and  found  a pool  in 
the  shade  of  the  jungle  where  I got  a lovely  bath,  and 
then  came  back  to  breakfast.  In  the  evening  Mr. 
Walker  took  me  through  a part  of  the  clearing  to  see 
the  country  at  the  back,  low'  rolling  liills  with  easy 
slopes,  mostly  covered  with  second  growth,  but  within 
about  a mile  of  the  sea  there  is  big  jungle.  The  soil 
appeared  to  be  similar  to  Toritipan,  but  not  so  rocky: 
indeed,  I saw  rro  rock  except  in  the  river.  The  soil  is 
of  a rich  dark  red  or  chocolate  colour  with  a greasy 
feel  w'hen  wet,  but  when  dry  it  pulverizes  and  granu- 
lates in  a most  curious  way,  and,  when  a heavy  rain 
comes  on,  it  sinks  into  the  ground  at  once,  and  there 
i.s  little  or  no  wash.  A most  suitable  soil  for  coffee, 
as  is  now  proved  by  the  splendid  trees  at  Toriti- 
pan. Mr.  Walker  has  felled  about  50  acres  of 
small  jungle  and  the  ground  is  very  clean,  although  the 
weeding  has  not  yet  been  fairly  taken  in  hand.  A little 
clearing  up  and  burning  remains  to  bo  done.  Holing  has 
been  commenced,  ten  feet  apart,  and  the  coffee  nur- 
series are  coming  on  nicely.  Planting  will  probably 
be  finished  in  July:  indeed,  a few  plants  are  already 
out  and  look  healthy.  Mr.  Walker  finds  it  best  to 
use  small  shingles  for  shade  as  done  at  Toritipan,  and 
as  the  coolies  can  cut  them  at  70  cents  a thousand 
the  expense  of  shading  is  not  great,  especially  as 
the  shingles  can  be  used  again.  So  far  Mr.  Walker 
has  had  no  trouble  about  getting  labour.  The 
Dusun  villagers  near  tlie  estate  number  about  500, 
and  at  Pingan  Pingan,  tw'O  and  a half  miles  distant, 
the  village  contains  1,000  Dusuns  who  are  willing  to 
work  at  prices  which  give  them  about  1(>  cents  a 
day.  Mr.  Walker  tries  to  do  everything  by  con- 
tract, which  does  away  with  the  necessity  of  keeping 
hours  to  which  the  ordinary  native  objects.  They 
work  well  but  like  to  go  to  work  and  knock  off  at 
their  own  time.  Mr.  Walker  tells  me  he  expects  to 
bring  the  coffee  into  bearing  for  10  pounds  sterling  per 
acre.  He  pays  j(i2'‘25  per  acre  for  felling,  and  for 
the  clearing  up,  burning,  holing  and  one  weeding  he 
i^avG  out  f\i  Ktiiiill  coutruct  a»t  the  hcig.  ClGtiiiiig 
up  and  burning  depends  on  the  kind  of  jungle;  for 
holing  the  price  is  one  cent  for  four  holes  and 
the  weeding  will  be  done  for  under  one  dollar  per 
acre  per  month.  At  Toritipan  the  bungalow  field  is 
now  weeded  for  80  cents  and  there  appears  to  be  no 
reason  to  pay  more  after  the  weeding  is  well  in 
hand  Mr.  Walker’s  bungalow  is  28'  x 32’,  plank  floor, 
kadjau  walls  and  atap  roof ; it  is  well  raised  from  the 
ground  and  later  on  a dining-room  will  be  niade 
below  the  present  floor.  The  cost,  so  far,  lias  been, 
including  kitchens,  under  jjslaO-  As  regards  food  Mr. 
Walker  tells  me  the  chief.  Serif  Huya,  kills  cattle  several 
times  a mouth  and  always  sends  some  meat  for  which 
Mr  Walker  invariably  pays,  b'owls  and  ducks  can 
always  be  bought,  besides  which  there  is  already  a 
capital  poultry  yard  at  the  bungalow.  I saw  a good 
many  villagers  passing  the  bungalow  on  the  path  to 
the  fishing  village  laden  with  vegetables,  which  include 
melons,  sweet  potatoes,  yams,  and  beans,  i'lsh  is 
plentiful  at  three  cents  a pound.  We  called  in  a(, 
b 
one  house  and  asked  for  water,  which  was  pre- 
sented in  a glass  and  the  woman  who  filled 
it  wore  a dirty  jacket  trimmed  with  a sort  of 
lace.  The  house  W'as  little  b,  tter  than  a birdcage, 
but  as  it  was  only  intended  to  last  for  ono  padi 
crop,  or  at  moft  two  years,  little  trouble  was  ex- 
pended on  it,  and  the  numl.ci-  of  people  living  in  it 
was  astonishingly  large  for  the  space  available.  The 
people  seemed  well  nourished  and  the  children  I saw 
were  fat.  The  padi  in  the  house  was  particularly 
good,  and  judging  by  the  length  of  the  straw  I should 
say  the  crop  must  have  been  large,  which  one  would 
expect  from  the  richness  of  the  soil. 
Mr.  Walker  says  he  finds  the  place  healthy.  He 
has  had  fever,  but  ho  is  looking  very  fit  and  has  put 
on  weight  since  last  Bepdember  when  he  came  from 
Ceylon.  Medicines  are  obtainable  at  the  hospital  in 
Kudat  but  at  very  high  prices,  and  it  is  better  to 
import  supplies.  Dr.  lloaro  of  the  London  Borneo 
Tobacco  Estates  prroposcs  to  establish  a convalescent 
hospital  at  Taujong  Batu  which  would  serve  for  the 
estates  generally,  and  such  a scheme  would  doubtless 
be  supjported  by  ihis  estate  and  by  Toritipan  as  well 
as  by  the  Lang  Horn  Tobacco  estate. 
Kudat  is  about  fifteen  miies  distant  across  Morudu 
Bay,  and  the  pjath  to  Pitas  Tobacco  Estate,  where 
there  is  a doctor  and  four  planters,  is  some  ten 
miles  (unmeasured)  distant.  I suppose,  in  Morudu 
Bay,  and  at  Pitas,  the  number  of  Europeans  is  now 
about  forty.  Tobacco  planting  i.s,  however,  a close 
and  engrossing  pnnsuit,  and  except  on  pay  days, 
which  occur  on  the  1st  and  Ifith  of  the  month, 
the  tobacco  pilaut;r  knows  little  cessation  from  work. 
I should  mention,  however,  that  they  get  a good 
deal  of  sport,  as  I know  tw  0 who  have  killed  over 
eighty  deer  in  Moduru  Bay,  and  one  who 
killed  many  rhinoceros  on  the  Kinabatangan. 
Of  course,  on  the  coffee  estates  Sunday  is  ob- 
served as  a day  of  rest.  Since  he  began  to  open 
here,  Mr.  Walker  has  killed  eleven  sambur  deer 
and  two  kijangs,  and  along  the  coast  there  are 
lots  of  curlew.  On  the  estate  itself,  and  in  the  padi 
clearings  round  about,  pigeons  of  several  kinds  are 
plcuitful,  and  the  Bay  affords  variety  in  boating. 
The  piath  from  Menpakad  to  Toritipan  is  fourtem 
miles  long.  Mr.  Schuck  has  ridden  it,  but  it  was 
difficult  work.  As  it  passes  through  good  soil  for  coffee. 
I expect  to  see  more  estates  along  the  sides  of  the 
Bay,  and  the  opiprortunities  for  social  intercourse 
will  then  increase. 
Having  suffered  severely  from  the  strong  winds  which 
mark  the  monsoon  in  Ceylon,  in  days  now  long  gone 
by,  I should  like  to  say  that  so  far  I have 
never  seen  any  damage  done  to  coCee  by  wind 
in  North  Borneo,  nor  do  I think  there  is  any  part 
of  the  territory  wind-blown,  as  is  the  case  in 
Ceylon. 
«. 
NOTES  FBOM  THE  IMETKOPOLIS. 
South  Kknsinoton,  May  8. 
,sii;  JOHN  aiuii:  and  uiMbUfi.v  vallky  estatks. 
Tlic  groat  iiow.s  lidoro  tlio  little  (.'eylon  plant- 
ing world  ill  liondon  duiiiig  the  past  lew  days 
is  that  Sir  -lolni  Muir,  Bart. — in  the  matter  of 
the  Elgin  and  Belgravia  estates  transfer— has 
given  way,  as  Mr,  dames  (Sinclair  and  his  co- 
directors always  said  he  would,  sujiported  by 
everybody  on  this  side,  who  were  at  all  cognisant 
with  the  facts  of  the  case.  No  doubt,  Sir  John 
was  not  aware  in  Ceylon  of  all  that  had  tran- 
spired here,  and  he  was  also,  perhapvs,  the  I'e- 
cipient  of  bad  advice — at  any  rate,  our  conteni- 
jiorary  was  in  stating  so  prominently  and  per- 
sistently that  the  sale  was  broken — that  the 
transfer  could  nut  take  pilace,  ami  so  on.  You 
have  had  the  answer  to  this  before  you  ere  now, 
for  on  Wednesday,  May  6th,  the  Secretaries  of 
the  Sylhet  Company  wired  to  their  attorney 
in  Colombo  to  transfer  Elgin  and  Belgravia  on 
the  terms  agreed  upon  originally — so  now  every- 
thing must  be  smooth  sailing.  There  can  be  no 
