5S<5 
THE TROPIOAl. /kQfl10m.TUm8T. 
[February i, 
— J.I »>g-- 
iSqz* 
oently, at least, were ontrainea in the knowledge 
whioh would teaoh them how material may 
be moai eoonomioally applied ; and in many 
of our public structures there may, we are told, 
bo observed inatanoea of the misapplieotion 
of both masonry end timber work. Such re- 
marks do cot, of course, apply to our nob.e Museum 
and similar structures. But it is mainly to the 
ignorance on this subjeet shown by- our native 
builders that we would desire to draw the attention 
of those who may hereafter bo charged with 
tuition in our technical schools. We muoh fear 
that the tendency of these will be — as U was for 
many yoara in the ecboo’a at South Kensington 
and elsewhere at home — to confine ^instiocuon 
mainly to ornamental design. Now in an eastern 
country like this we can have no desire to see 
European art grafted upon the teohnioalitios of 
Oriental design. Nothing can exceed the latter m 
beauty, and if any attempt be mads to give the 
taste which seems naturally inherent in orientals 
a bend towards the ornamental designs of the 
European sohools, the result will probably be only 
to produce a bastard effect whioh will be anything 
but pleasing. Far wiser will it be lor the course 
of instruction to be in the direction of teaching 
our naliree how to apply their material without 
waste : to learn how to proportion the support 
to the load. How constantly do we see the 
walla of houses made of undiminished thiok- 
nees throughout, when the weight of the 
rooffng these have to uphold is distributed over 
a few points only. Wore it the custom to leave 
bouse walls in this country fully exposed to the 
Run or weather, there would not bo so much to 
urge against this universal unnecessary thick ness. 
In Enrope auoh a method is followed to keep the 
interior of dwellings either warm or cool, to 
prevent the interiors heooming readily subject to 
exterior inffueuco. But in the East nearly all 
house walls are sheltered by verandahs, and con- 
sequently nearly half the work put into our walls 
is wasted. Then, again, in the timber of our roofs 
and verandahs how constantly may wo observe 
rallers either so slight as to bend under the 
strain of the tiles they carry, or else the employ- 
ment of scantlings adequate to carry nearly three 
times the weight they aro ever likely to be subject 
to In the first case there is wasteful application 
because the life of such work must be short ; and 
in the second there is equal waste because less 
than hall the material would have sufficed. Ihe 
instance cited will furnish the bey to the matter 
to whioh we think the attention of those who 
may direct toohnioal education in Oaylon should 
bo speoially direoted. The A B 0 of snob education 
must not be neglected by too exclusive a devotion 
to the cultivation of au artistic tasto which may 
only result in spoiling the inborn disposition of 
Orientals to ornate design. Teaching whioh will 
enable its recipients to perform iu the best possible 
manner the practical operations of every-day life 
in masonry, carpentry, lurnoty and engineering is 
what ought to be mainly imparted. 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE 
lutsT WliKX’s Tea Sales. — A gsiu there has been 
some abridgment from the exocssivoly heavy sup- 
plies of Indian tea, says the Grocer, put forward 
daring November, the total qnanlity bronght to 
auction this week, though still large, not having 
more than equalled 38,230 packages whioh mot a 
livelier demand than of late, and have nearly all 
been realised at full to rather better prices. Almost 
each day has wituesaod an improvement somewhere 
In the tone of the pnblio sales, and whilst the 
lowei grades, whioh are lid. to 8d, per lb. oheaper 
than at this time last year, have been only slightly 
hardening op iu value, the preferable and finer quali- 
ties above lOd. and Is. per lb , forming the smaller 
prorortion of ihs aggregate supply, have commanded 
a tangible advance on Ihe irregular quotations recently 
onrrent. The latest advices from Oaloutta, to Nov. 
18, report that on Iho 13th inst. 11,650 chests wore 
said by auotioc. Good qualities are still in demand, 
snd oooasionally show a slight advance in price, bat 
thin sorts are steady at about last week’s prioes. 
The importa into London during the week have been, 
per Bengal, 1,63-1,300 lb., and Nubia, 416,600 lb. A 
revival of demand for Ceylon tea baa taken plaoe 
this week, and prices are firm. Finer grades have 
been wanted at extreme rates, and though some 
low figures were recorded for the common kinds, 
there were a few oasee whore better values were 
realised. It is probsble that snppliea will be in- 
creasing soon, and it depends muoh upon the qna- 
lily how prioes will rule. A few estates lately 
have sent forward teas of improved quality. Arrivals 
at this port have been limited, comprising only the 
Victoria, 336,500 lb., and the Beogal, 229,600 Ib. 
There has been a further falling-off in the Iquantilies 
of Indian tea offered, aaya the Produce Markets JHevitv 
and a muoh firmer tendency has developed iu most 
garde.s. The demand generally coutinties _ extremely 
gcod for his period of the year, which is entirely 
attributable to the increasing oonsumplion, and the 
good valne offering in Indian growths- Although the 
stock at the end of last month was considerably in 
exorajof the same time last year, at the present rite 
of oonsnmptiou the supply will probably not prove ex- 
cessive. It is difficult to forecast the course of prices 
during the next few weeks, ss the supply in January 
bids Isir to be heavy, but the present tendency of the 
market oertainly points towards the oonclusion that 
the lowest prices have been touched. Although the 
demand for Oeylon teas has rather fallen off, the 
smallness of the quantities brought forward on the one 
band, and anticipations of a better demand after Ohrial- 
maa on the other, have sufficed lorsise prioes for almost 
all grades. The commonest kinds have been the least 
effected, and cannot bo said to be dearer, but Fekoca at 
from 8d and upwards show a rise of from Id to Jd, while 
really fine liquoring teas rommand Jd to Id more than 
a mouth since. Broken teas of all grades are in good 
demand. The general quality of the supplies has, un- 
fortunately, shown liO improvement; bonce the extreme 
prices realised for a few of the best parcola. 
CerrEx Mixtures. — At the County Magiatratea’ Coart. 
Liverpool, on Monday, the question ae to the meaning 
of the term “ French coffee,'^’ ee it is underetood by the 
trade and by the pablio, arose out of the proseontion of 
a grocer for having fold to a person font by the polioe a 
mixture oonta-niugO.i percent of ohioory. The evidence 
showed that there was no attempt to deceive, but that 
on the contrary the mixiuro was plainly labelled as snob, 
and that, moreover, the purchaser was distinctly told 
Ibo nature of Iho coiuponud. Ihe ber.ch dismissed the 
ease, but inflicted a fine of 20s and coat in another 
instanoo wherein the nature of theartiolo had not been 
thoroughly explained to the purchaser. 
The United States and the West Indies — Wo 
learn from Washington that a commercial agroeroent 
has been arrived at with the British West Indies and 
B itishGuisni, whereby in return for theoontiuued froo 
introductioo iut > the United Statee of sugar and coffee 
tboee co’oiiies agroo net only to enlarge great'y tho free 
list of their euatom.a tariff, but to make decided roduc- 
tioDB in ths duties imposed on tho prodaots of the 
United Stator.— Jf. and C. Mail, Deo. 18th. 
It must bo gratifying to our planters to find 
that Ceylon and Indian tea is rapidly driving the 
Chinese article out of the market in the AuBtralasian 
Colonics. Ceylon tea partionlarly is rising in favour 
at tho Antipodes, and tho Indian producers have 
now muoh to tear from tho oompetition in tho 
Ceylon quarter. Beioto long it seems probable 
that both John Chinaman and his staple export 
will be praotioally excluded from AuBtralaRififf 
uhoreBi — Colonies and India, Deo. 26tb, 
