[March i, 1898. 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
tunity of seeing the plants growing in the differ- 
ent localities, in the lowconntry (I wish I had) 
I am really not able to state, with any certainty, 
what locality will be likely to suit them lest, 
but so far as I can judge at present they seem 
to be not at all pamcular, provided they base 
fairly "ood soil. Of course elevation, and a dry 
or w’et “climate may affect the yield ol camphor 
oil and solid camphor. This can only be deter- 
mined by actual experiment.” 
IMMIGRANT COOLY ROUTES. 
THE PROPOSED DEPOT : HARE ISLAND 
US. TATAPARAI. 
the SUB-COM.MITTEE S REPORT TO THE P. A. 
COOLY ROUTES; TUTICORIN-COLOMBO. 
At the present time the coolies tind their way 
to Tuticorin by vail from the various stations 
on the South Indian Railway, and remain in 
that town for generally a day or so betoie em- 
barking^ for Colombo. '1 lie place of embarkation 
is the jetty, which juts out from the open space 
along Uie La-front of the town, and up to which 
a line of rails is earned connecting iMth the 
railway, so that trains can be brought straight 
UD to Lie jetty. The usual hour of embaikation 
is^ about 4’ o’clock p-m., and passengers are taken 
out to the ship in a steam launch, a distance 
of about fivenLes. Coolies staying at luticonn 
Se ., -Reeled to ,isk of bl»ckn,aill,,g a. ~ 1 » 
infection of cholera and otlier diseases. H theie- 
fore becomes necessary to organize some ^ 
which the coolies need not or cannot go into the 
town at all Two places have been sugg^ted, 
vCa delit either at Hare Island or at Tata- 
^*^Hare Island lies on the course of the steani 
launches running between the steamers and the 
iettv and is about one-lmndred and twelve acies 
in'^lLtent. The Tuticorin light-house is situated 
tUo icland which IS Otherwise uninhabited. 
corinbn the S. I. Railway, and is about nine 
and h^f niiles from that town. In considering 
the advantages and disadvantages ot the two 
schemes, the points calling for attention aie . 
2. The co^veufence, aoeessibility and hygiene. 
3, The risk of infection. 
4 The comfort of tbe coolies. 
r. Thp attitude of the Government. 
fi tL poLibility of this route becoming less used. 
7; ih^xisteLeof a depot and possible quaran- 
'T for remitting funds to coolies 
in transit g^pj,^,g^,_Tlie cost of the scheme at 
Tataparai isestimated ataboutR7,000 inc^^uding aU 
necessary buiblings to accommodate say, 1,U00 
coolies 'It must be understood that it is not pio- 
uLL'to make cither place into a quarantine station, 
but only a sloiiping idace when the coolies can 
or anil cook their food after tbe railway louiney. 
Tlii Ha.= S.,l,ei..e wo„ld have 
to include a jetty on the island besides quarters 
fertile Immigration Agent, and could Imidly 
amount to less than four or live times the cost 
of the Tataparai Scheme. , 
9 The CoNVEXIltNLE, Accessibilit\ 
Hygiene - if tlie Tataparai Scheme be carried 
out Lolies can be booke.l fnmi stations on the 
railway to Tataparai and detained there, and c.in 
iin be booked tbrongli from lataparai to 
S.bo, oX C. G, Eaihv.y, 
Kanganies wisliing to keep their coolies out of 
Tuticorin can therefore do so by through booking 
from Tataparai. Coolies will not be subjected to 
blackmailing by Tuticorin caddy- keepers or others, 
as the depot being on premises belonging to the 
railway, no persons will be admitted unless with 
the permission of the Agent. No caddies can 
be erected in the neighbourhood as the railwaj’ 
has a right to, prevent any buildings being erected 
within a radius of lialf-a-mile from the station, 
and this right will be exercised. 
As regards the Hygiene, the Ceylon Assistant 
Immigration and jMedical Officer, Dr. Bawa, has 
reported that the soil at Tataparai contains 
organic matter, and is likely to become sodden 
and waterlogged diuing the rains but that by 
drainage, paving, and conservancy, this objection 
can be obviated. It appears, however, that the 
total rainfall for 11 months last year was only 21 
inches, and that not more than 5 inches fell in 
any one month. 
As regards Hare Island, in order to get there, 
the coolies would have to go first to Tuticorin, 
and would be liable while there to all the dis- 
abilities if the present system ; unless they had 
hooked through to Colombo or couli be induced 
to go straight off t • Hare Island. This they 
could not be compell I to do, and it would 
also he impossible to pi event residents of Tuti- 
corin from visiting the Island unless the Madras 
Government took steps to prohibit any visitors. 
As regal (Is Hygiene, Hare Island would he a 
healthy place, and the depi'ic could easily be 
kept in a sanitary condition by the use of sea 
water which would be carried by the coolies. Fresh 
water can be supplied to either depot in any quan- 
tities required by means of tanks on the rail or by 
boat at a nominal cost. Should cholera break out 
in anything but a sporadic form at either depot, the 
result would probably be that the depots would 
have to be closed temporarily. The coolies would 
not remain at Hare Island if cholera prevailed 
there, and it is doubtful if tbe light-keepers even 
would stay, and as regaids Tataparai, it would not 
be right to receive more coolies into an infected 
depot. But with efficient supervision it is impro- 
bable that any serious outbreak would occur at 
either place, as eacli case would be immediately 
segregated. It should not be forgotten in con- 
sidering the necessity of an expensive scheme that 
but little trouble lias been experienced hitherto as 
regards cholera amongst immigrant coolies, and 
that the immigration of this class by this route has 
only once been interrupted in recent years. 
It has been suggested that in case of interruption 
of traffic between Tuticorin and Colombo, coolies 
might still be shipped from Tuticorin to Paumben, 
and quarantined at the station, and the flow of 
coolies to the Island thus maintained until the 
Colombo route was reopened. 
3. The risk of infection of immigrants would 
be much less if either scheme were adopted, than 
it is at present. At Tataparai the only risk 
would he from coolies who had the infection 
on them, and at Hare Island the same remark 
would apply, |)rovided the coolies could be 
induced to go there without stopping at Tuti- 
corin on the way. 
4. The comfort cf tlie coolies could he equally 
provided for at both places. As far as buildings 
are concerned — but in stormy weather the coolies 
on Hare Island would lie exposed to the full 
force of the wind and spray or drift sand — besides 
being exposed to the unavoidable discomfort of a 
double transhipment. 
