Bahamas. 
No. 64. 
Government House, Nassau, N.P., 
24th April, 1894. 
My Lord, 
With reference to communications, verbal and otherwise, that 
I have received from the Colonial Office during the past three years on 
the subject of machines for the extraction of fibre, on which information 
was desired for the Fiji Government, I have now the honour to acquaint 
your Lordship that I am at length in a position to speak definitely of 
a machine that is now in successful operation in this Colony. 
» 
2. The machine in question is one manufactured by a Mr. Todd, 
Address : — 
J. C. Todd, of New York, and during my late visit to the Munroe Plantation at 
Patterson, 
New Jersey Abaco, 1 witnessed its performance and have no doubt it will be 
universally adopted here. It dresses the fibre perfectly and with a 
minimum amount of waste, and though half a ton is all that a single 
machine will yield as a day’s work, the principle is so sound that all that 
is necessary is to increase the number to meet any required needs. 
* 
3. I may observe, however, it docs not necessarily follow that the 
“ Todd ” machine will be suitable where the conditions of the plant are 
not similar to ours—I am not informed of the nature of the plant at Fiji— 
but it may be instructive to know that the leaves of the Bahama Plant 
which hold the fibre are from four to six feet long ; that they are free 
from gum, and the threads separate without combing. Little washing is 
needed, and the whole process of extracting, washing, and drying is the 
work of one day. 
I have, etc., 
(Signed) A. Shea, 
Governor. 
i 
The Most Honourable 
The Marquess of Eipon, K.G., 
etc. etc. etc. 
