332 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov.  2,  1896. 
being  found  to  be  successful  a company  was  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  machinery  and  other- 
wise bringing  about  the  change  as  quickly  as  possible. 
I have  not  heard  of  any  trouble  having  been  met 
with  at  Fading  where  the  first  machine  was  set  up, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  none  will  be  encoun- 
tered when  other  machines  are  taken  to  other  dis- 
tricts in  the  early  spring.  We  have  always  been  led 
to  believe  that  anything  in  the  way  of  machinery 
which  is  supposed  to  lessen  the  demand  for  labour 
would  lead  to  rioting,  but  we  may  have  been  gulled. 
We  must  hope  for  the  beat,  many  of  the  Chinese 
amongst  us  have  entered  into  it  warmly,  but  I must 
add,  on  the  other  hand,  that  many  stand  aloof. 
The  new-make  will,  no  doubt,  cost  more,  but  then  it 
will  sell  at  a higher  price.  Anyhow,  from  the  outset 
we  shall  have  teas  that  are  saleable,  which  is  not 
the  case  with  us  at  present.  If  the  cost  is  too  high 
at  the  beginning,  that  is  a ma'.ter  that  will  right 
itself  later  on.  The  terribly  heavy  duties  and  likiu 
we  have  to  pay  alone  stand  in  the  way  of  a sanguine 
view  being  taken  of  the  future  of  the  trade,  for  there 
is  no  doubt  about  the  determination  of  the  enterpris- 
ing company  to  make  the  thing  a success. — N.-C. 
Herald,  Sept.  18. 
« 
N VASSAL  AND  NOTES. 
liumour  has  it  that  the  Ceylon  planters  have 
got  terribly  afraid  ot  this  country  owing  to  re- 
Eorts  of  our  climate  being  so  fearfully  b.acl  as  to 
e called  by  .some  deadly  to  the  poor  martyrs 
white  men,  whose  misfortune  compels  them  to 
live  here. 
I see  by  a late  Observer  that  some  Nyassaland 
correspondent  asserts  that  INIr.  Owen  who  was 
sent  over  liere  by  Mr.  Carson  nearly  died  from 
blackwater  fever  ; also  that  the  late  A.  T. 
Miller  died  from  the  same  complaint.  Now  I 
am  in  a position  to  contradict  tliis  statement  as 
untrue,  Mr.  Owen  had  fever  certainly  off  and  on 
during  his  short  stay  here  ; no  doubt  the  malaria 
he  absorbed  on  his  journey  up  the  Shird  came 
out  when  the  hills  were  reacherl,  as  it  does  on 
nearly  everybody  who  comes  here,  so  he  iiuished 
it  and  cleared.  Ilegarding  Mr.  Miller’s  death, 
I assure  you  he  died  from  an  internal  com- 
plaint and  had  no  fever  during  his  6 months 
in  Nyassaland.  Fever  is  common  enough 
here  I don’t  pretend  to  deny,  but  it  is  mostly 
brought  on  by  men’s  own  fault.  E.\cept  the 
introductionary  fever  dose,  which  few  escape 
and  as  few  if  any  die  : from  it  is  easier  cured, 
of  a mnch  milder  type  and  not  nearly  so 
obstinate  and  dangerous  as  Ceylon  lowcountry 
fever  : in  fact  it  is  thought  so  little  of  by  old 
residents  that  they  don’t  seem  to  mind  it  in  the 
least  • and  for  my  own  part  I would  rather  have 
24  hours  Nyassaland  fever  than  a severe  cold, 
which  I have  by  the  way  at  present,  and  it 
has  stuck  to  me  for  10  days  and  I can’t  shake 
it  olf.  If  our  country  was  so  deadly  as  repre- 
presented,  why  have  we  so  many  ladies  amongst 
us?  One  gentleman  replied  to  me:  “Oh!  they 
never  get  ill.”  I can  count  18  to  20  of  the  fair 
sex  in  the  country,  and  never  heard  of  any  of 
them  being  seriously  ill  : those  I have  .seen 
looked  well,  and  two  or  three  after  7 or  8 years’ 
residence  look  blooming  and  much  improved  by 
these  residence  in  B.C.A. 
There  is,  however,  a form  of  fever  more  un- 
known in  Ceylon,  and  by  the  way  unktiown 
here  until  about  4 years  ago,  viz.  blackwater,  which 
has  proved  fatal  in  many  cases,  mostly  for  want 
of  proper  nursing  and  knowledge  of  how  the 
disease  should  be  treated.  I have  .seen  several 
cases  and  have  had  the  complaint  twice  myself, 
and  if  properly  treated  is  not  in  my  opinion  so 
serious  as  people  would  like  to  make  otit.  It  is 
as  well,  we  are  thankful  that  this  form  of  fever 
is  not  very  common  and  has,  as  far  as  my 
knowledge  goes,  only  been  contracted  by  those 
engaged  in  opening  up  Coll'ee  estates,  and  living 
in  or  visiting  unhealthy  parts  of  the  country 
Upon  the  whole  the  country  cannot  be  called 
hea'thy  for  Europeans  any  more  than  many  of 
the  districts  in  Ceylon  were,  before  they  were 
opened  up,  and  during  the  opening  of  large 
tracts  of  country  for  tea  and  coflee.  I would 
rather  liave  ten  doses  of  Nyassaland  fever  than 
one  Kurunegala  attack,  ami  I h we  experienced 
both.  My  advice  to  Ceylon  men  is  not  to  come 
here  if  they  are  afraid  of  a dose  of  malarial 
fever  or  what  is  commonly  called  here  a 
“ belions  attack”  .as  common  in  the  Ceylon 
mountain  zone  as  here.  This  j'ear  lias  proved 
a very  unhealthy  one  for  both  Europeans 
and  natives  ; it  has  been  worse  than  I have  known 
it  for  several  years  back,  and  has  proved  fatal  to 
a few  as  you  would  see  by  the  .sad  deaths  of 
the  brothers  Buchanan  whose  loss  is  much  felt  .and 
greatly  bemoaned  by  all. 
The  Nyassaland  Co.’s  Superintendent  is  not 
going  to  lose  time  this  year,  for  he  has  already 
knocked  down  nearly  200  acres,  and  has  over  300 
labourers  at  work  ; so  who  can  .say  labour  is 
scarer  here  ? Distant  reserves  of  laboui  have  hardly 
been  tapped  yet,  but  facilities  are  now  offered 
for  getting  labour  from  a distance  which  did  not 
exist  a year  or  two  .ago  : for  inst.ance  the  Agent 
of  the  B.C..\.A.  stationed  in  Augoniland  about 
100  miles  away,  is  sending  down  large  numbers 
to  work  on  coffee  estates  this  year,  and  the 
siqiply  is  likely  to  continue  as  there  is  an  en- 
ormous population  to  recruit  from.  They  only 
stay  from  3 to  (j  and  8 months.  We  ho^ie,  how- 
ever, that  better  pay  will  induce  them  to  engage 
for  a longer  period. 
The  two  assistants  Messrs.  Moggridge  and 
liobins  have  been  at  work  on  the  Companys  land  for 
some  moBtlis,  and  seem  like  Mr.  (Jrabbe  to  like 
the  country  and  tackle  work  with  a proper  spirit — 
apparently  the  proper  stamp  of  men  for  this 
much  abused  country.  .Several  new  estates  are 
being  opened  up  in  Mlanji  tiiis  year,  besides  the 
Nyassaland  Co.’s,  viz.,  Messrs.  Cox,  Austin,  ami 
Wilsi’s  lands  ; tliey  are  all  busy  with  nurseries 
and  new  clearings. 
We  must  have  a railway  in  a few  years  or  we 
shall  be  in  a terrible  box  for  want  of  transport 
facilities.  A survey  has  been  made  to  connect 
the  Shire  Highlands  with  the  river  at  Chirimo, 
our  port  of  embarkation  ( where  steamers  call ) 
for  the  coast,  and  it  is  reported  that  no  diflicullios 
in  the  way  of  engineering  exist  along  the 
trace  : so  we  hope  to  be  served  by  a railway 
in  due  course. 
Transport  has  been  reduced  : I am  sending 
coffee  home  to  London  for  £5  per  ton,  £2  10s 
by  river,  and  £2  10s  by  Keunion  Line. 
Tea  seems  to  do  very  well  here  : I liave  as 
good  a growth  at  3 years  as  any  I ever  saw 
in  Ceylon  at  300ft.  The  soil  and  climate  seem 
to  suit  it  admirably.  The  llavour  (for  I 
have  made  it  frequently  of  late)  re.sembles  very 
much  some  tea  I matle  at  Tommagong,  in  the 
Udapussellawa  district.  The  .aroma  is  excellent 
and  it  Hushes  freely,  so  we  need  not  des[>air  of 
having  a paying  product  should  leaf-disease  ever 
ap[)car  on  our  coffee. 
We  have  a terrible  pest  in  borer  in  Mlanji 
district,  and  it  is  worse  this  year  th.an  I have 
seen  it  before,  in  fact  it  is  as  bad  as  I have  ever 
seen  it  anywhere  except  in  Travtvncore. 
