588 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST, 
[February r, iFgi , 
tagCH of aluminium for photographic lonsert and the 
metal partH of canierati. Joeing so light it reduces tlie 
weight of the fittings to nearly ono-tliird. lie suggents 
its use in place of wood for the dark slides, and also 
for developing dishes, as it is very little affected l)y 
the chemicals emploved in photography. Any com- 
pounds that might bo formed would not vitiate the 
picture. 
The first scientific account of the great eartlinuako 
in Japan has been given by I*rofessor Jolni Milne, 
the well-known seismologist, of the University of 
Tokio. Hfr. Milne was awakened at fi-JH a.m. on 
October 2rtth last by the oscillations of his house 
whicli produced a seiise of dizziness and nansea. As 
recorded by his l)rackot seisniogiaph, this continued 
for ten or twelve minutes. On examining tlie.se in- 
struments, ho found that they were lUiting very im- 
perfectly, and failing to record the horizontal dis- 
nlacements, whicli in this case wore accompanied 
l)y vertical motions. 
Mr. Mihio’s letter, which has appeared in .Vofu/Y, 
and is dated November 7, liears witness to the ad- 
mirable Kelf-coininand of the Japanese. There was 
no panic among the people of the district, although 
the earthquakes were in progress wlien lie wrote, 
and no helplessness from hysteria or menial pros- 
tration. They heiu' the boom ’’ announcing a shock, 
and “run laughing into the middle of the sti-ect. ” 
“ As to what Happens with Europeans under like 
circumstances, ” says Mr. Milne, “ 1 must leave 
readers to consult histon'. ” Foreign buildings of 
brick and stone have suffered soverly ; cotton miUs 
have fallen in, and their chimney stacks have broken 
at half their height. Cast iron columns supporting 
bridges have snapned near their basses : masonry 
piers have been destroyed in a similar juanner; 
embankments have been sliot away, brick arches 
have collapsed, and railway lines have boon twisted 
into snaky folds and vertical waves. In the cuttings 
near the hills, however, the rnilway tract is un- 
affected. Hero and there a Japaueso temple or 
castlo luis escaped destruction, ow’ing, Mr. Milne 
thinks, to the superior quality of the woodwork and 
jointing. 'Pho gieatest havoc has taken place on 
tlio Oka/.aki-Gifu plain, where tlio opening of cre- 
vasses, the spurting. of mud and water, the falling 
in of river banks, and other phenomena, marked 
the violence of the ctu'thqnako. 
Kelway’s system of signalling by niglit at sea 
has the merit of simplicity. A boai’d is studded 
with electric inciuidoscent lamps, and the connec- 
tions to the lamps are so arranged that in order 
to sigua) a given letter (say the lamns form- 
ing a group N are lighted. There is a Wylioard 
for sending the currents into the proper lamps, and 
the keys are played like those of a type- writer. 
As most largo vessels ai'e now furnished with electric 
lighting plant, the system is in a fair way of being 
taken up and tried. 
The suiwoys for the proposal railway from Mombasa 
to the lakes of Central Africa will bo commenced 
at once under Captain J, U. Macdonald, u,h., and a 
staff of Indian pioneers (with native servants), lent 
by tlio Government. The work will bo undertiikon 
i)y the llritish East Africa (kmipany. 'i’he sniveys 
for tho proiKiHcd line from the Ihmgwe Kiverto Massi 
Kosso have already been made. The railway will 
start from t)ie Fungwe at a point opposits liiliambano 
and run to lobo on the liivor Jlnsi, thunoo across 
the w'oodod iilains between tlie T’ungwe niid llusi. 
It will l»o the w’tirk of tho Mozamhu^uc (company, 
and tlie British East Africa Company s lino to Fort 
Balisbury will branch from it.—OVo/'C. 
The CiaOVE Auctions in Zanzihab.— Further par- 
tioulars have now been reoeived of tho first public 
sale of olovpB at Zanzibar. Tho Auction, as wo 
have already annouuord, took place on November 
21, at 9 R.m. The clovta offered were Governrmnt 
property, having been tendt-red ns payment in 
kind," in discharge of export duty. Mr. Geri'ld 
rurtnb and General Matthews attended the sale, 
ADd before it began Mr. X^orlal addressed the mer< 
ohanls, briefly pointing out that tho sale of 
Government property about to take place, though 
sinall in itself, was really moat important us 
making a new departure in the trading system of 
Zanzibar. It was he hoped, one more important 
step towards the development of the oommeroe of 
Zar.z'bar Mr. Portal expreriRod his firm belief in 
the practicability of m king Zirzibfir a great central 
market for Africa, and in conolupion stated that in 
a very short linio (ho Government hoped to remove 
tho few remaining rcatrictions upon trade herf', 
when ho said, all ideas of rivalry or j^'nlouay bet- 
ween ZaT zibar and the coast territory must cease 
as the proFperi y of one would tend to the proa- 
lierity of a I. The sale was well attended by all 
European and Indian morohnnt.^, and tho stock 
olTei'i d was disposed of at fair prices aPhongh 
luavy purcl'asas for Bombay, during the early part 
of tho week, somewhat restric'ed the demand. 
Pemba quality realised to 10 pcrfrpziloh. 
and Zanzibar (new crop) $2 fJO The mana^iement 
of the sales wag in the hands of Mr. Hugh 0. 
Hobcitson, the Ileceiver of Revenue for tho Zanzibar 
Governnunt. The firet sale proved a decided buo- 
fefs, and it is hoped that the pnblio auctions 
which are to be held fortnightly will prove a 
bentfioial change from the plan formerly followed 
by selling the cloves privately. — Chemist and 
Vrnfff/ist, Drc. 18. 
Cinchona Oankru and Quinine Factobies in 
BitiTiBii I^Dr\■ — -Mr. Lawson the Indian Govern- 
raf?Dt botanist, is now or was when tho last mail 
lift in^ tlio Wynaad district of India tngiged upon 
SLino interesting (xperiments for (ho euro of canker 
in cinchona. Tho quinine manufactory at Nodi- 
vut.ira has been a tuccess and there is a rumour 
that a somewhat similar one is to ba establUhed in 
South Wynascl on the cooperative Ryslcni by tho 
planters. There should be no difficulty (a corres 
poudent thiuk.R) in acaonipliehing this work and 
th'i saving to (heplanttra would be very considcrnblo ; 
the cost of carriage would be reduced to a minimum 
and nil the money now paid for baling and 
phippiug bark and to agents for analysing and 
selling wcuM bo savod^to the tune of 2;7 per cent, 
or more. With a quinine manufactory and two or 
three capneioua ten factories OBtablisheJ in the 
country the Wyrnad may yet be rehabilitated and 
something like tho old prosperous days may bo 
restored to the planters. — Chemist and Drmjf/ist. 
Sums boon Sdpj'lYi — R eferring to the scarcity of 
rice tho IhintjkoL Times says : — Burmnh has ceased 
to export ; Tonkin is unable to supply anything 
like the quantity she did last year ; Japan needs 
nonrly all rhe can harvest in this period of 
calamity ; the crops in tho Philippians are barely 
euffioient for tho sustenance of the inbabitsnls, 
despite all tho induct ments in the ehapo of bounties 
offered by the Spanish Government ; and in Sam, 
judging from the official reports, we shall be lucky 
if this harvest produces one-fourth the average 
yiold. In the Pairiew distriot it is true there has 
been an excellent crop, but wq are assure I that 
elsowhoro not more that one twentieth of the ex- 
pected crop is to be expeotod. That being fully 
required for the sustenance of (ho population hero, 
surely tho Government will do well to take precau- 
tions against possible scarcity by prohibiting tho 
wholeealo exportation which is going on owing to 
the high p ices now offering in tho surrounding 
countries. Last month three hundred, and seventy- 
five thousand piculs of rice, valued at nearly 
750,000 do l ire, Itft Siam — two-thirds of it for 
Singapore. In the corref ponding month oflastyear, 
with a moderately bountiful harvest, the export 
was only about a (|uarteT more, 
