434 
THE TROPICAL AQRICULTURT8T 
[December r, 1891. 
(tt the close of 1888. The 8t, mine hee 
been worked to eorap»rative!y small extent. At the 
olose of 1888 the main shaft had been carried to a 
depth of 4Q0 ft , and in 1880 it was sunk 75 ft. farther. 
The Otto’s Kopje mine had reached a depth of 800 
ft. in 1889. 
The average value of the diamonds raised at the 
Kimberley mine in 1889 was S6.74 per carat ; in 1887 
the average value was bnt #4.89j. Similarly, at the 
Do Doers mine the average value increased from ®'l,98i 
per carat in 1887 to ®8.’?S in 1889. At tho Dntoitapan 
mine there was an advance from ^6.88 per carat in 
1887 to 89 48 in 1889 ; at tho Bnltfontein mine from 
#4.94 to #0 70J; at the St. Angastino from $8.16 to 
$8.12 ; at the Otto’s Dopje from f l.Bl in 1888 to 
$7.32, and at the river diirgings and mines from 
$9.93 in 1887 to $12.90 in 1^9. It will bo observed 
that the most valuable diamonds are raised from the 
liver diggings. 
The number of persons emrdoyod in the diamond 
mines of Griqualsud West in 1800 ia oflioialiy returned 
as 7,249, a.s compared with 8,103 in 1889, and 11,453 
in 1888. The number of lives lost last year was 33 
as compared with 105 in 1889 and 303 in 1888. The 
large number of fatal accidents reported is attributed 
to insubordination among native miners, their disregard 
of orders involving a heavy proportion of the loss of 
lifo which has occurred duriug the last three years. 
The wages paid to white miners in tho Kimberley and De 
Beers mine range from $17.60 to $34 per week ; Kaflire 
received $7.80 per week, with wood, water, lodgings 
and medical attendance. In the Dutoitspau and 
Bultfontein mines, wagoa are somewhat lower.— 
Engineering and Mining Journal. 
GOVERNMEMT QUININE. 
Sir Obarles Elliot’s remarks on Brigade Surgeon Q. 
King’s report of the Cmchona Flaiitalions and Factory 
in British Sikkim for the year 1890-91 ate worthy of 
the attention of District OOleers and all Civil Surgeons. 
It is twenty-nine years ago since the Bengal Govern- 
ment entered upon this cinchona enterprise, not with a 
view to profit, but with tlie avowed intention to reduce 
the price of qaiuino which then stood at a practically 
prohibitive rata, to one rupee per oniice, Tho 
plantation and factory have met all expectations, and 
not only decs the price now stand at the latter rate, 
but tho net profits for the year under notice amounted 
to seventeen thousand rupees. It is truly remarked 
that “ hardly any greater blessing to a fovcr-strickcn 
country can be imagined than cheap quinine j ” and 
with respect to tho Uikkiei product, wo have ample 
BBsnraDoe that cheap quinine does not m ean inferior 
quinine. Qoverumeut quinine, Pr. ICing assures us, 
has been shown by repeated analysis to bo of the 
highest possible purity, which he goes on to remark, 
“ IS a good deal more than can be raid of much ot tbe 
foreign qniniue that is sold in Calcutta,” and ho might 
hove addusl, “ elsewhere in India.” But this is not all. 
There is in stock a large amount of raw material and 
of manufacturing product, proving that tho pruduoitig 
capacity of the plantation and factory is greater than tbe 
demand for the product ; and it would bo poesiblo still 
further to reduce the price of quinine it more charitable 
dispensaries were to supply themsolvos with tho 
Government drug instead of buying cisewliere at prices 
from 12 to ‘25 cents* higher. The lieulenant-Oovornor 
of Bengal is drawing the attention of the luspeclor- 
Oeneral of Civil Hospitals of tliat Province to llie 
matter, and it would bo as well it a similar course 
were adopted in the Pun jab. Thu necessity of having 
a plentiful supply ot real, genuine quinine ready at 
hand for distribution iu tlic Punjab is not so urgent 
this year as it was last ; but it cannot be loo promi- 
nently brought home to the reapunsible authorities 
whore such an article can be obtained iu quantities ; 
it would cripple the finances of no Municipality or 
District Board to purchase liberslly. In oa-srs ot 
unusual and sudden outbreaks of fever, purchases aro 
♦ Per cent? — Ei>. 2'. .^1, 
apt to be made in the nearest market, irrespective of 
price, and on such occasions dealers are tempted to 
adulterate an already interior antipcriodic to meet 
such requisitions nnl to make a good thiug of them. 
Tliis could easily be guarded against by laying in a 
reasonable stock of pure and cheap Government 
quinine, an.l it ia somewhat surprising that this has 
not boon insisted upon long ago. Tbe Punjab Govern- 
ment has made spasmodio attorants to induce distriot 
officers to tlistribute tlio drug libcra'ly, bur, uko all 
such attempts, they do no lasting good. When the 
oapaoities of the Sikkim plautatiots become belter 
known, wo aro confident tliat quinine, cheaper even 
than a riipeo an etiuco, will be obtainable in abundance 
jU India.— Orvii ami Militarg Gazette. 
TiiK Tea Tbaek ooutinues, and some demand 
exists for better grades than those in request for 
some weeks past. Settlements of leaf to date 
are ’235, 000 piculs against 208,000 same time last 
year, and exports foot up 27^ million pounds 
against 23} millions at the same date last year, 
—.hiytin H'eekly Mail, Oct. 17lh. 
Gebmam qjjterprise in Now Guinea is inoreasing. 
With tho objeot of establishing plantations iu the 
territory of the Now Guinea Uompany, (or the 
cultivation chreliy ol tobaeco, a company, to be 
known as “The Astrolabe Ooinpany,” has just 
been formed in Berlin with a oapital ol 120,0001. 
Experts are of opinion that parts of Now Guinea 
aro admirably suited for the growth of the tobaooo 
leaf, and, ot course, any quantity can be absorbed 
in tho manufacture of German cigars, which, by 
the way aro being exported in larger quantities 
than, ever to this country. — E. Mail. 
Mb. Wynduam, the British Uonsnl at Paramaribo, 
tbe capital of Dutob Guiana, in a report just issued 
by the Foreign Offloe, refers to gold mining in 
that oolony and says that tho industry is steadily 
inoreasing, and with tho introduction of onpital 
will bo a great business. A slight decline in pro- 
duction has oooutred during the last two years, 
but this is to bo attributed largely to placor owners 
building their hopes on oompanies and syndioatos 
buying their land, and, in the meantime, eeasing 
the developments neocssary to keep up the average 
returns. 'The aurifarona belt extends throughout 
tho throe Guianas from Cayenne to Venezuela in 
an catterly and westerly direction, in width about 
100 miles. 1 he formation of the gold belt is mota- 
morpbio, slates, sohists, and oeoasional dikes of 
sandstono and gneiss. Mining has been principally 
oonfinod to alluvial washings, and very satisfaetory 
resnUs have been so far obtained. The amount 
increased from 476.953 grammes 
in 187.) to 1,029,777 grammes in 1888. Last year 
the export amounted to 987,218 grammes. The 
Government has done nothing to open up the 
country by tho oonstruotion of ro'ads, or making 
the river more navigable for small steamers to 
adyanee the mining interests of the oolony. Private 
enterprises have had to rely upon their own 
resourooa in this respect. It is only during the past 
two years that any attention has been given to 
quartz mining, and the developments during this 
A*t* j prodiioed highly satisfootory results. 
After desoribing tho work done on various mining 
the Oonsul adds that there is a good 
nclrt there lor capitalists, and when the reefs now 
discovered have been developed and suitable 
machinery creoted, tho results oannot fail to be 
satiafaetory. The ore is free milling, and wood 
and water aro abundant for all mining purposes, 
oonscquently the cost ol working will be nominal. 
All machinery for manufacturing and mining 
purposes is admitted free of duty.— London Timee. 
