Oct.  I,  1896. J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIS  I'. 
275 
ter  service  by  leaving  out  all  mention  of  tlieir 
coil'ee  experience,  and  also  of  the  risk  of  over- 
production of  tea,  I fancy  there  is  no  .sensible 
man  in  Ceylon  who  thinks  so.  Por,  surely  any 
thing  that  may  divert  attention  and  capital  from 
the  cultivation  in  new  countries  of  our  present 
staple,  tea,  in  favour  of  the  old  and  under- 
produced staple,  coffee,  tends  to  be  of  service  to 
Ceylon  planters  at  the  present  time  ; while  to  cor- 
rect a gross  misunderstanding  and  afford  correct 
information  was  ample  justilication  for  the  hatter. 
But  —as  an  old  lu'essman — I should  really  let 
such  tritlcs  pass  without  notice : to  misconstrue 
is  sometimes  very  natural. 
I have  a remarkable  contirmatiou  from  “ Cosmo- 
polite ” of 
THE  KEEPING  QUALITIES  OF  CEYLON  TEA. 
He  wrote  to  me  lately  as  follows : — 
“ I enclose  a cutting  from  your  London  letter  and 
would  remind  you  that  about  12  years  ago  ‘ Cosmo- 
polite ’ said  the  same  as  Mr.  Donald  Noble  says 
now,  and  so  positive  am  I in  my  belief  that  1 keep 
one  chest  of  tea  maturing  whilst  I am  drinking  the 
other,  in  fact  1 have  always  a chest  in  hand  ripening.” 
J.F. 
AMONG  THE  COCONUT8,  AND 
BEYOND. 
(From  a Flanling  Cori'esj>ondciit.) 
Puttalam  is  quite  out  of  the  track  of  the  pleasure- 
seeker  or  the  globe-trotter  either : but  for  all  that 
it  is  not  much  of  a place  when  you  get  there.  No 
wonder  the  old  Malay  resthouse  keepor  enquired,  in  a 
confidential  way,  why  I had  come;  and  when  I told 
him  just  to  have  a look  at  the  place,  I could  see 
that  he  did  not  believe  a word  of  it.  People  no 
doubt  sometimes  go  mad,  but  such  an  aggravated 
form  of  mental  disease  as  enduring  a night  journey 
in  the  bullock  coach,  to  revel  at  the  grey  dawn  in 
the  natural  beauties  of  that  salt-pan  has  never  before 
been  known,  and  you  would  have  stamped  yourself 
as  an  idot  to  have  believed  it.  So,  I guess,  the  old 
fellow  argued,  o.nd  doubtless  credited  me  with  some 
saner  motive. 
What  a night  of  horrors  that  ride  was  from  0 p.m., 
to  5 n.m. — for  it  was  impos.sible  to  sit  or  lie,  and 
vhat  with  the  jerks  tliat  almost  dislocated  your 
neck,  and  the  bumps  which  yo'ur  head  got, 
life  was  not  worth  the  living.  Then  there 
were  the  mysterious  stoppages,  with  a clatter  that 
went  on  for  ten  or  twenty  minutes  over  the  deli- 
very of  a mail  bag,  and  '•  such”  a bag  which  had 
to  be  found,  and  by  and  by  another  b.sg  was  re- 
ceived, then  a shout  to  the  cattle,  and  a plunge 
into  darkness.  We  crossed  a ferry  at  midnight,  and 
before  doing  so,  wailed  heaven  only  know's  how 
long.  A fellow  who  spoke  English  assured  me  that 
there  was  no  unusual  delay.  They  had  to  allow  “ the 
more  pi'evious  coach”  to  get  on.  He  was  quite 
willing  to  converse,  but  I was  not — felt  more  inclined 
to  swear.  The  cattle  in  the  coach  did  well.  They 
went  off  with  a wild  rush,  then  trotted,  then  into 
a walk,  and  so  it  was  kept  up,  doing  four  miles 
an  hour  easily. 
It  was  an  added  horror  to  find  the  resthouse  shut 
up  ; but  in  a little  the  old  boy  in  charge  shufiled 
•around,  prepared  an  early  meal,  filled  the  bith, 
f'apped  about  a handkerchief  as  a pretence  for  dust- 
ing, went  off  to  the  bazaar  for  the  breakfast,  and 
seemed  to  bring  in  his  purchases  in  instalments— a 
tin  of  jam  now,  beef  next  time,  fish  after — thus 
making  the  most  of  it.  11c  told  me  that  his  visitors 
usually  travelled  wdth  their  own  serv.ants  and  sup- 
plies, and  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  collect  the  rest- 
house  charges,  hence  his  chronic  melancholy. 
When  the  breakfast  was  being  collected  I took  a 
look  round  the  place,  and  was  soon  satisfied.  The 
whole  population  seemed  Moors.  There  was  a mosque, 
of  course,  with  the  rigged-up  mast  fluttering  with 
flap ; a big  Moorish  school  was  in  lull  swing,  the 
scholars  grinding  at  Arabic ; the  trees  were  stunted 
and  all  growing  the  one  way,  and  there  was  a strong 
dry  salt  wind  meeting  you  at  every  corner  in  quite 
a blustering  way.  The  wind  came  oil  the  Puttalam 
lake,  and  had  an  odour  which  wanted  freshness,  an 
ancient  lish-like  smell.  I walked  out  to  the  “ upu 
palium” — the  salt  pans — a vvhitened  desolation,  and 
saw  on  my  way  back  a haif-dried  tank.  I was 
struck,  however,  by  the  healthy  appearance  of  both 
man  and  beast,  especially  the  pariah  dogs,  which 
were  the  biggest  and  best  caved  for  I have 
ever  seen.  Usually  the  pariah  i,s  “ high  in  bone 
and  low  in  flesh,”  a brute  of  furtive  look  and 
habit,  ever  anticipating  a stone  or  stick : and  its 
readiness  to  howl  if  you  but  move  your  hand, 
sadly  evidencing  the  hard  struggle  for  existence 
which  is  the  sum  of  his  life.  These  dogs,  however, 
were  big  and  well  nourished,  were  friendly  and 
wanted  to  be  patted,  and  were  not  the  white-toothed 
snarling  outcasts  that  usually  are  seen.  In  walking 
through  the  bazaar  you  were  not  always  on  the 
watch  for  an  unexpected  rush,  for  they  allowed  you 
to  pass  on  your  way  unheeded,  and  seemed  wholly 
to  have  forgotten  the  habits  of  the  pariah.  The  town 
seemed  very  clean,  and  if  there  be  a Local  Board 
it  has  some  credit  for  its  work.  But  to  get  back 
to  civilisation  was  what  bothered.  To  go  through 
another  night  journey  was  a horror  to  anticipate, 
and  was  happily  avoided  by  a special  having  been 
put  on,  and  our  getting  under  weigh  at  I p.m. 
Eight  hours  at  Puttalam  seemed  long  enough,  and 
by  starting  at  midday  wo  had  a chance  to  see  the 
road  which  we  missed  the  previous  night  in  the  dark- 
ness. As  we  got  along  towards  Chilaw,  the  small 
prickly  scrub  gave  place  for  bigger  jungle  till  by  and 
bye  we  touched  forest,  and  the  flourishing  plantations 
of  young  coconuts  w’as  evidence  enough  that 
v?e  had  passed  into  the  region  of  oirect  rain- 
fall. The  weather,  although  cloudless,  was  very  cool, 
and  as  the  cart  was  a really  comfortable  one, 
we  were  prepared  to  enjoy  the  ever-changing  scenery. 
Tracts  of  green,  glimpses  of  water  and  clumps  of 
forest,  and  the  graceful  coconut,  all  helped  to  charm; 
and  when  night  fell  the  young  moon  shone  out,  it 
was  even  more  beautiful  than  day,  and  more  than  a 
reward  for  the  weariness  of  travel.  At  11  p.m.  when 
Chilaw  was  reached,  the  x^lace  was  all  astir  with 
lights  and  bustle.  It  was  some  play  the  Catholics 
had  got  up,  but  ten  hours  in  a cart,  did  not  pri- 
dispose  you  for  aught  but  bed.  The  Chilaw  resthouse, 
is  very  comfort.rble,  nicely  situated  and  cool  in  the 
exlreme.  At  the  one  side  you  look  toward  the  sea, 
can  watch  the  spray  shoot  up  and  hear  the  beat  of 
the  waves  on  the  beach:  at  the  other  side,  toward 
the  town,  there  is  a mixed  mass  of  waving  ponds, 
houses,  a bit  of  road  and  the  glitter  of  the  back 
water  here  and  there.  If  you  want  to  be  reminded 
of  Ceylon  life,  you  m.ay  be,  but  if  your  wish  to  be  at  rest 
then  the  sea  view  will  give  it  and  the  ozone-laden 
air  will  add  its  virtues.  I hear  much  of  coconuts, 
and  the  value  of  them  and  very  likely  all  is  true; 
but  meanwhile  it  has  been  a pleasuie  to  have  been 
among  them,  and  with  that  I am  content. 
Tea,  Coffee,  and  Cinchona  Cultivation 
IN  India. — From  the  Governmonfc  of  India 
we  liave  received  a bulky  volume  of  “ Agri- 
cultural .Statistic.®  of  British  India  for  the 
year.s  ISlU-Do,”  consisting  for  the  most  part 
of  elaborate  table.s,  with  an  ex[)lan;itory  memo- 
randum prelixed.  Of  special  interest  to  u.s  in 
Ceylon  are  the  tables  of  tea,  coffee,  and  cin- 
chona cultivation  in  each  district  of  each  province 
and  in  the  native  states  in  1893  and  1891,  .and 
the  progress  in  each  product  from  1885  to  1894. 
In  1893  the  total  area  under  tea  in  India  was 
395,839,1:  acres ; and  in  1894  it  had  increaseil  to 
422,551  .acres.  The  highest  average  yield  per 
acre  from  mature  plants  w.as  obtained  in  Jalpai- 
guri,  viz.  555’9  lb.  in  1893,  .and  541 -3  lb.  in 
189-1.  The  total  acreage  under  coffee  in  India 
in  1893  was  258,984T4  acres,  and  in  1894  it  was 
277,88L94  acres.  In  1893-94  there  were  11,23.7 
acres  under  cinchon.a  in  Imlia  ; but  in  1894-95 
the  acrc.age  had  decreaset^l  to  8,710. 
