440 
THF TftOPlCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[December i, 1891. 
in a compact comfortable room wo found some 
half-dozen experts dealing with damonds “ in the 
rough." The; had a most ingenious way of holding 
the gem in wax fitted into a handy tool, while 
with a diamond cutter in the other hand they 
proceeded to teat and seek out any daw. Ifiamouds 
were lying about in what seemed to us rather a 
careless way; but apart from visitors allowed 
in, being very few and far between, and always 
under rcsponsibla guidance, the operators are, 
through a system of oo-operation more like part- 
ners, while for all diamonds handed to them, 
they are made striotly responsible, the record 
being taken not simply in number but by weight 
each morning before commencing work. A daw 
having been detected in a stone, it is the business 
of the operator to out it out in the most soien 
tide manner consistent with the utilising of the 
gem otherwiso. This done, the diamouds are 
passed down to the next door where more skilled 
workmen are employed cutting round the now daw- 
less gem and making it ready for polishing; they 
are assisted by lathes driven by the steam machi- 
nery at the basement. The third and most im- 
portant treatment is the polishing, and here wo have 
a large room lull of machinery, drums, pulleys and 
belts dying around at great speed to give the 
requisite speed for the polishing of the many facets 
of the diamond with diamond dust. But it may 
be asked how are the gems, so small as most of 
them are, held by the polisher or the machine in 
which the polishing takes place. Wax is obviously 
too soft tor this operation, end so it has been found 
that lead is best, each polisher having a man be- 
hind him melting lead and inserting the diamond 
in a large lump which, when cool, shows only the 
one facet of the diamond that has to be operated on 
in polishing. Bo that for each facet, there must 
be a fresh melting and re arrangement, and when 1 
state that there are 04 facets in all (32 on each side) 
of a stone, it will bo judged that even with the aid 
of machinery and all modern appliances, two days 
are not too much for the polishing of a single 
diamond. But then in the polishing machine, 
revolving nearly 1,000 limes a minute, several 
stones are being operated on at once. 1 hap- 
pened to have with mo a Ceylon catseyo, small 
but of good shape and colour, and a “ Malara 
diamond ” (which, by the way, had been pro- 
nounced by a Dublin jeweller some years ago, to 
be glass I) and the young exports dealing with 
diamonds in the rough, wore a good deal interested 
in the Ceylon stones— to them novel and 
interesting, especially the catseye- The Matara 
diamond,” they tested and pronounced to be ” a 
diamond of the second-class." We were shown the 
difference between the Brazilian rose diamond and 
the white stone of the South African finds. Then 
by permission of the brads of the house, wo were 
taken to see some of their special property in the 
sates — a splendid collection of liniehod, sparkling 
gems, set and unset. Finally wo inspected models 
in glass of all the great diamonds of the world, includ- 
ing the Great Sdogul " belonging to the Tsar, out as 
a rose and not very clear; of the “Kohinur” 
as originally got for Queen Victoria and as after- 
wards cut, a brilliant of the first water and 
magnificent in size ; the diamond worn in his cap 
bv the Shah of Persia; some of the very fine 
diamonds in the French State collection ; a grand 
stone found at the Cape; and I suppose among the 
modelfi mast have been one of the uiamonu sent 
by Mr Jacob of Simla to the Nizam, valued at 
£430,000, whiohihas lately been the subject of a 
trial, the Nizam repudiating the bargain and 
returning the stone. Altogether, a most interesting 
Afternoon was spent in this, the largest AmsterdAW 1 
Diamond-polishing Establishment, making us for the 
future to understand and appreciate the great care 
and exactitude manifested in this branch of in- 
dustry. 
JAVA TEA AND CACAO AND 
SUMATRA TOBACCO. 
There is one matter I want to bring before the 
Ceylon Planters’ Association in reference to Java 
planters and Holland. While Amsterdam is 
deciiledly the headquarters market for Sumatra 
tobacco (and very depressed I found this market 
to be, scarcely any dividends for shareholders and 
owners this year), and Java cinchona bark ; yet 
the same osn by no means be said of Java tea 
aud cacao. For the latter products Java planters 
look to London as their principal market, 
and thereby bring their crops into direct competi- 
tion with those from Ceylon, India, &o. No 
fault can be found with them for this practice, 
except insofar us they fail to cultivate and 
endeavour to create and extend a market in their 
mother land. Already for “ cocoa ” there is a big 
demand in Holland, and “ Van Houten's Cocoa" 
(we saw bis Village Factory outside Amsterdam) 
being known far and near on the Continent, I can- 
not see why every owt, of Java cocoa should not 
sell as advantageously in Amsterdam as in London. 
Thu case is different in respect of lea ; for although 
in one province of Holland — Friesland, bordering 
on Germany^ — the people are reported to be great 
tea drinkers, in the country generally, tea-drinking 
is far from common and the product is only now 
beginning to come to the front, and I believe 
China rather than Java, teas rule the market. At 
any rate, I only saw one " Java Tea Agenoy " 
established in Amsterdam, and it is quite clear 
from the quantity (yearly increasing) of Java tea 
going to London, that the home market is not 
much cultivated or studied. Noir, why should 
not the Java tea planters be asked to do in Holland, 
what their Ceylon and Indian brethren have so 
tc ell done in the United Kinydom? Who but the 
Java planters in their Aesociatiuns or Unions should 
make known the virtues of their teas to all the people 
in Holland and even Belgium and Western Germany, 
aud “ advertise, advertise " until not only is all 
•■China” stuff driven out, but a vastly increased 
consumption of tea is established throughout the 
land. The effect of this would, of course, bo to 
relieve the London market of Java tea, bringing it 
on to Amsterdam, and to increasq the total Conti- 
nental demand for our staple. Now, I trust the 
Chairman and Committee of the Ceylon Planters’ 
Association or Tea Fund, will see that hero is a 
case in which they may very well offer some good 
advice to the Java sister-institutions, based on their 
own example and experience. Surely the Java tea 
planters— a most enterprising body — will not refuse 
to organize and contribute to a fund to help to spread 
the fame of their tea in Holland and adjacent 
provinces ; but in order to get thorn to make a 
start, the necessary impulse and information must 
surely be given from Ceylon. I feel sure it will not 
bo Mr. Philip’s fault if this is not done. 
Amsterdam has a very full library and I spent 
a pleasant morning there, taking notes among 
the rest of, what seemed to me, all the uncommon 
volumes or State Records referring in any way to 
Ceylon, of which there was a goodly collection, — 
ihe grand Central Railway station is another 
feature of iho Dutch capital — the building end very 
convenient as well as complete arrangements of 
this one suUioient station reflecting great credit 
on the authorities and architect, the building, taste- 
fully decorated, being a work of art in itself, 
