Oct.  I,  i8g6.] 
TilP:  TROPICA! 
AGRICULTURIST. 
261 
THE  NEW  DIUECTOK  OF  THE  ROYAL 
r.OTANlO  CARDENS. 
Dr.  Trimen’.s  .successor  will  be  well  011  lii.s  w.ay 
to  (!eylon  before  tlie.se  lines  come  befoi'e  our 
readers.  Mr.  Willis  was  to  have  left  Ijondoii  by 
the  Orient  ss.  “ Orotava  ” on  the  21st  August. 
We  have  bad  some  pleasant  correspondence  with 
Mr.  Willis;  but  were  unable  to  meet  him  in 
London  before  bis  departure.  At  Cambridge, 
however,  whore  Mr.  W'illis  is  well-known  ami 
iniifdi  esteemed,  we  learned  a good  deal  about 
the  new  Director,  and  all  telling  in  his  favour 
as  a practical  as  well  as  scientilic  Rotanist,  and 
one  well-lilted  to  do  justice  in  the  responsible 
post  be  is  calle<l  on  to  1111  for  the  Ceylon  Gov- 
ernment and  publie.  After  a disiinguisned  eareer 
at  the  University  Mr.  W'^illis  went  to  Glasgow 
where  be  has  given  oreat  satisf.-iction  in  bis 
post  as  Rotanical  Assistant  at  tlie  University 
and  very  mucb  e.xtended  bis  e.xperiemte 
and  knowleilge.  Mr.  Shipley,  Science  Lecturer, 
connected  with  Christ’s  College,  Cambiidgo, 
spoke  in  high  terms  of  Mr.  Willis,  and  told  us 
about  a very  useful  Pocket  Cyclo])iedia  of  Rotany 
(to  be  published  in  connection  w'itb  a series  of 
which,  we  believe,  Mr.  Shipley  is  editor)  for  the 
compilation  of  which  Mr.  W'illis  is  mainly  re- 
sponsible. Mr.  Shipley,  in  fact,  was  c.N|)ecting 
final  “ proofs  ” back  from  Naple.s.  Profcs.sor 
Mar.sball  Ward  who  knows  well,  from  j)ersonal 
experience,  the  kind  of  man  wanted  at 
PdJ’>‘ideniya,  had  only  good  to  report  of  Mr. 
\V  illis  and  his  litne.ss  to  succeed  Dr.  Trimen.  He 
thinks  Mr.  Willis’s  Encycloicodia  will  prove  a 
ery  u.seful  little  work,  and  its  value  had,  })os- 
.sibly,  something  to  do  with  the  ap[)ointment  to 
Ceylon.  In  economic  matters,  there  is  every 
likelihood  of  Mr.  W'illis  proving  e([ual  to  the 
occasion;  while  be  will  certainly  do  all  in  his 
power  to  get  (piickly  acipiainted'  vvith  local  con- 
ditions and  re<iuirenieiits.  Finally,  some  one  re- 
marked to  us  in  Cambridge: — “ l)o  not  make  a 
mistake  through  Mr.  W'iilis’sajiparently  juvenile  ap- 
pearance, because  \\q  looks  like  19  or  20,'  in  place  of 
his  28  to  .10  ye.ars.”  Mr.  Willis  is  in  attainments 
and  experience  <iuite  np  to  bis  years  ; and  long 
may  lie  retain  bis  youtliful  apjtearance,  say  we, 
although  we  daresay  Ceylon  will  soon  ettect  a 
change.  At  any  rate,  no  one  in  the  island  is 
likely  to  take  objection  on  the  above  score  ; and 
we  bespeak  for  j\Ir.  Willis  a hearty  welcome  on 
the  ])art  of  the  Ceylon  public  ami  es[)ecially  the 
planters,  as  well  as  from  bis  otlicial  superiors. 
THE  “ MAZAWATTEE  ” TEA  COMPANY. 
At  the  present  time  there  are  ter  companies  with 
out  number.  Almost  everyone  drinks  tea — in  point 
of  popularity  it  stands  bead  and  shoulders  above 
every  other  beverage.  Next  to  tobacco,  indeed,  it 
yields  the  largest  customs  revenue.  Speaking  roughly 
the  country  makes  about  £5,000,000  off  tea  every  year’ 
spirits  coming  next,  and  wines  next. 
Mr.  John  Lane  Densham  is  verily  a King  of  com- 
merce, since  he  shart  s with  his  brother  the  task  of 
ruling  ever  the  destinies  of  the  “ Mazawattee”  Tea 
Company.  The  house  of  Densham — started  by  Mr. 
John  Densham  s father  thirty-three  years  since — is 
an  old  and  respected  one.  For  years  the  Denshams 
sold  tea  and  coffee  (wholesale)  just  like  anyone  else, 
but  12  years  ago  they  were  struck  by  the  quality  of  the 
tea  which  came  from  Ceylon.  They  were  the  first  of 
all  their  fellows  to  recognise  what  Ceylon  might  de- 
velop into  as  a tea-growing  country, 
THE  ORIGIN  OK  “MAZAW.STTEE.” 
So,  selecting  the  yields  of  the  best  Ceylon  gar- 
dens  only,  and  allying  thorn  with  the  choicest  teas 
and  C-iint,  tiijy  ojiaiuoJ  a blend  of  ex- 
ceptional value,  exqui.site  in  flavour  and  aroma 
a blend  grateful  (o  the  palate,  and  of  uniform 
.strength  and  quality,  which  they  called  “ Maza- 
wattee” (pronounced  “Mizawotty.”)  Adverli.sed  right 
and  left,  and  pushed  witli  the  greatest  vigour 
‘‘  Mazawattee”  soon  became  the  best-known  tea 
in  the  three  kingdoms,  to  say  nothing  of  the  prin- 
cipality of  Wales. 
^Iazawattee  ” caught  on.  If  it  had  been  a bad 
tea  people  wouldn’t  have  paid  the  price  demanded 
for  it,  no  matter  how  much  it  had  been  advertised. 
The  public  soon  distinguished  between  a commodity 
that  is  of  real,  and  a commodity  that  is  only  of 
meretricious,  value.  But  the  Denshams’  blend  was 
good. 
‘‘  Tho  Ceylon  tea-planters,”  said  Mr.  John 
Densham  to  the  writer,  “ look  upon  us  as  tho  best 
friends  they  ever  had.  Our  action,  you  see,  caused 
a revolution  in  the  tea  trade.  The  China  trade  is 
now  as  near  as  possible  (so  far  as  the  English  tea 
trade  is  coiicerned)  a dead  letter.  Some  old  stagers 
drink  China  teas  but  the  rising  generation  hardly 
dreams  of  touching  them.” 
Mr.  Densham  here  got  out  a great  ledger. 
A KEW  KlGUllES. 
“ I want  to  show  you  a few  figures,”  he  said, 
“ which  will  iirove  to  you  how  wonderfully  the  con- 
sumption of  Ceylon  tea  has  increased  since  we  first 
drew  the  attenUon  of  the  public  to  it.  In  1884-85 
Ceylon  exported  2,500,000  pounds  of  tea,  and  China 
100. 000. 000  pounds.  In  1881-05  Ceylon  exjiorted 
7 1.000. 000,  and  China  only  40,000,000  pounds.  'Thus,  in 
ten  years,  the  consumption  of  Ceylon  tea  has  increased 
by  72,000,000  pounds,  while  that  of  China  has  decreased 
by  almost  100,000,000  pounds.” 
From  which  figures  it  is  evident  that  if  the 
Messrs.  Densham  went  out, to  China  as  missionaries 
their  lives  would  not  bo  worth  mauy  moments’  pur- 
chase. 
‘‘And  where,”  we  enquired,  ‘‘does  the  discarded 
China  tea  find  a home  ”7 
“The  best  of  it,”  was  the  reply,  “goes  to  Russia, 
the  inferior  sorts  to  other  European  countries,  and 
the  commonest  of  all  to  Canada  and  Australia.” 
WHAT  'IIIF,  NAME  MEANS. 
“How  did  you  come  to  fix  upon  the  name  ‘Miza- 
wattee  ’ ” was  our  next  question. 
“It  is  a curious  jumbl ; formeh  from  several  Cinga- 
lese words,”  explained  Mr.  Densham;  “it  is  meant 
to  denote  a Htanianl  hiijk-cla.ts  brand.  I need  hardly 
tell  you  that  from  the  very  c ommencement  rival 
merchants  have  been  endeavouring  to  copy  it.  We 
are  constantly  opposing  names  which  bear  too  great 
a similarity  of  ours.  Among  imitations  that  we  have 
had  to  squash  are  Myawattee,  Nysowatte,  Mallewattee 
and  Ganmaz.i.  We  bad  to  stop  the  last-named  be- 
cause to  the  trade  our  tea  is  largely  kuown  simply 
as  ‘ Maza.’  ” 
Asked  to  supply  the  names  of  any  famous  folk 
whom  he  supplies  with  Mazawattee,  Mr.  Densham 
explained  that  in  order  to  do  this  he  would  have 
to  send  a circular  letter  to  his  agents,  “ since  ours 
is  an  entirely  wholesale  trade.  Rut,”  he  added,  “I 
can  tell  you  this,  and  you  can  take  it  for  what  it  is 
worth.  Our  agent  at  Hawarden  only  sells  Maza- 
wattee. I mustn’t  commit  myself.  Mr.  Gladstone 
may  or  may  not  drink  us.  How  can  I say  '?  I can  at 
any  rate,”  he  went  on,  “ testify  to  the  fact  that  at 
least  one  member  of  the  Episcopal  Bench  drinks 
‘ Mazawattee,’  for  not  very  long  ago  we  received  a 
visit  from  the  Bishop  of  Gloucester  who  told  us 
that  when  at  home  he  invariably  drinks  our  ‘ four- 
shilling  ’ tea,  and  so,  when  he  came  up  to  London  and 
found  that  he  could  not  get  it  at  his  hotel,  it  struck 
him  the  best  thing  he  could  do  would  be  to  come 
and  buy  some  himself.  Of  course  we  would  not  hear 
of  his  paying  for  any,  but,  later  in  the  day,  sent  him 
a present  consisting  of  a 61b.  tin  of  his  favourite  blend, 
Our  ‘four-shilling  ’ tea,  I should  tell  you,  is  very 
popular.  Curiously  enough,  we  send  an  enormous 
quantity  of  this  tea  to  such  wide  apart  places  as 
Finland  and  Cape  Colony.” 
£26  10s.  Per  Pound. 
Mr.  Densham  has  still  got  some  of  tho  tea  which  the 
company  gave  such  a fancy  price  for  a few -years  agOi 
