Rice. 107 
was thrown under their feet and shaken up so as to bring 
every part under the tread of their feet. It was simply 
astonishing how quickly the grain was by this means 
separated from the straw, the paddy being from time to 
time swept into heaps and put into bags, for the winnow- 
ing operations. This was done in a clear space, exposed 
to the wind, by the well known ancient system of letting 
fall from a sieve. The paddy once ready for market, a 
ready sale for it was found on the estate. 
Harvest over, water was let on, and a fine ratoon crop 
came up as by magic, little inferior to the first. After 
reaping this crop, the land was again treated in exactly 
the same way by puddling as at first, of course the work 
being much easier. 
For want of labour, in 1872 the rice cultivation ended. 
The whole of the above description can be applied to the 
venture in rice cultivation which has been carried on for 
several seasons on Novar and Dundee, in the Abary 
district, by the coolie proprietors of those estates. 
While I was watching the rice industry on the West 
Coast, the late Mr. BASCOM at Anna Regina tried a 
most interesting experiment among the Chinese of that 
estate. To gain a reservoir supply of water for his gang 
and machinery, he constructed that grand reservoir, one 
of the sights of Anna Regina ; a two feet earthenware 
pipe was placed, conducting the water from Quacka- 
booka which stands at a high level, under ground and 
through the Chinese quarters. Now, Chin Chin was not 
slow to grasp the situation, and, unknown to Mr. BASCOM, 
uncovered the pipe, drilled a hole in it, inserted a bam- 
boo, and by that means secured a never-failing supply of 
water for his gardens which were then covered with 
O 2 
