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THE LONDON AND CHINA TELEGRAPH. [Nov. 18, 1872]
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JAMES WEST, PUBLISHER,
2, COWPER'S-COURT, CORNHILL, LONDON.
The London & China Telegraph.
LONDON: MONDAY, NOV. 18, 1872.
CEYLON AND ITS COFFEE.
It is a remarkable circumstance how frequently those most accustomed to the commerce of a country are apt to be deceived, and to deceive themselves as to the probable out-turn of the year's operations—the more especially if the commerce in question be the result of agricultural enterprise. This, we presume, is not more the case as regards Ceylon than other countries. But as it is the Cinnamon Isle, as it was formerly called,—it should be the Coffee Isle now—with which we have at present to deal, a few words on the fallacies which generally prevail till the season closes will not be out of place.
The coffee crop of the past season was very deficient; like every other growing crop this one depends much on the weather, first at the blossoming and afterwards during the filling of the bean. A very good blossom may blow and set, exciting high hopes of a splendid crop, and yet too much wet immediately after setting may perish it, while too much drought may do the same.
Again, when the berry is filling, chiefly from June to August, a long drought may prevent the filling, and thereby greatly diminish the crop. A cursory observer, passing through a coffee district during the flowering time, seeing every plantation white with its jessamine blossoms, retires possessed with the impression that there are to be magnificent crops. This idea he hugs and believes because, as he thinks, he has seen the crop on the trees. Sad delusion! It must not only be fairly set, but the bean well filled, before a blossom can ever be reckoned on as safe.
Now both the drawbacks above named—a loss of blossom from unseasonable weather in the spring, and a loss of crop from the failure of the monsoon rains in their season—have fallen to the lot of the Ceylon coffee planter this year, and of course he cannot help crying out.
But will any one believe him? No. The Colombo merchant first, and the London merchant afterwards, rebut the assertion, and think he is only crying "wolf" to suit his own purpose, and to force the market up—and they employ all their influence as a counter lever to press the market down.
No doubt there is a difficulty in arriving at a certain estimate of the crop of a country like Ceylon, where interests are so divided, dispersed, and detached; where also a considerable quantity of crop is raised by natives, some of whom keep no accounts, while others decline to supply the necessary information.
THE CASE OF THE "DOLPHIN" AT BANGKOK.
THE Government of the United States and its representatives have generally been so conciliatory and moderate in their intercourse with the nations with which we have relations in the Far East, that it is with no less surprise than regret that we observe the singular deviation from this principle in the case of the Dolphin.
This vessel, an American schooner, commanded by Captain T. S. ANDREWS, was detained by the Siamese Government in consequence of the non-payment of the firewood-tax, on entering the Patlak Cro-k.
After careful perusal of the case, as reported in the Siam Advertiser, we are unable to come to any other conclusion than that the commander of the Dolphin wilfully disregarded the signals of the native tax-collector to stop.
In his evidence Captain ANDREWS says that he could not have stopped her because of her headway and the strength of the tide—a statement which contrasts strangely with the fact that the Siamese (only five or six in number) boarded her, and did actually stop her, and anchor her there and then.
No sort of violence seems to have been used on either side. Even Captain ANDREWS, who represents himself as being so very much aggrieved by the "seizure of his ship, and who went on shore at once, "intending to go to the United States Consul," did not carry out that reasonable intention, but stopped at a rice mill, from which he returned on board his own ship with two gentlemen and a lady!
Thus reinforced, Captain ANDREWS—this is his own statement—secured the officer who had boarded his vessel, and then went to his house and asked for his wife, who was, fortunately for her, from home.
This, as we have mentioned, is Captain ANDREWS's own statement. The charge against him, we should also state, was that he attempted to seize and carry off the officer, his wife, and children.
That he had recaptured his ship, which was seized for firewood-tax, was another and separate charge.
It is also matter of dispute whether the United States flag was flying on the schooner at the time she was summoned, and stopped.
It is however clear that no serious inconvenience was caused to anybody—though it is not explained why the wood-tax was not accounted for—and we are therefore greatly surprised to find that the United States Government should have despatched the corvette Iroquois to Siam for "an explanation."
Of course we all know what this means—and the Siamese Government, under pressure of this very convincing reason for giving way, tried the case, and condemned themselves, or their officials, to pay $100 to Captain ANDREWS who, we may presume, congratulates himself on a small triumph.
Such, however, we think our readers will agree not exceed 500,000 cwt., while others believed it would at least be 800,000 cwt.
The highest of these, however, would be still 200,000 cwt. below the average of the past five years, or just 20 per cent. But all were agreed that they would be short.
Still it appears not to have been believed in London—for reports continued to come out to Ceylon, "Large shipments from Brazil," "Fall in Continental markets," "Reduce limits," "Price down 2s. to 3s.," &c., &c.
Now this seems to be a species of short-sighted suicidal policy which always defeats its own end.
The season is finished now, and no doubt a good many fingers are itching for the profits that could have been made had they gone in boldly and bought at the market figures a few months ago.
So far back as August last, while the London market was being borne down, we warned buyers that the crop would soon close; and that we doubted then if it would exceed 750,000 cwt.
The commercial season ended on 30th September, and the total export did not exceed 758,000 cwt.! This is very nearly a quarter of a million hundredweights under the average production.
Other coffee-producing countries were also proportionally short, as the following figures show:—
Brazil deficiency ... 1,000,000 cwt.
Java deficiency ... 800,000 cwt.
Ceylon deficiency... 250,000 cwt.
Total 2,050,000 cwt.
This is without reckoning India, which was also short. It is also irrespective of the West Indian colonies, which are likely to have suffered from the same influences as those that affected Brazil.
This is a lamentable deficiency, and the fact is deplorable as regards those who must be the chief sufferers—the growers of the article.
It is a fact, nevertheless, which must be looked in the face, and should be kept steadily in view by those who contemplate investing either in the produce in question, or in the description of property that yields it.
The removal of the duty in America, too, ought to advantage the grower and the exporter; for, although the abolition of that duty extends only to coffee imported in American bottoms, still America must have a certain quantity of coffee; and even if she import this quantity all from Brazil, and does not take an ounce of Ceylon coffee from Europe, whatever quantity she so receives, relieves the European market to that extent.
We understand that the appointment of Mr. ALBERT COATES, a partner in the firm of Messrs. KER and Co., as acting Consul at Manila, during the absence of Mr. Rickett, has been approved by the Foreign-office.
The Consulate at Saigon is still represented by Mr. HAUSCHILD, a partner in Messrs. W G. HALE and Co., and no appointment for a fixed paid Consul can be made, until the cost has been passed in the next estimates.
As the non-receipt at Brindisi of letters from England, often causes annoyance to passengers proceeding to the East by the Italian route, we think it well to notify that, although the India and China mail does not leave London until Friday evening, letters intended to catch passengers at Brindisi should be posted for the Wednesday evening mail.
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It need hardly be said that the British Colonies have never received any immigrants from Macao, but always obtained them, under proper restrictions, from Hong Kong or the Treaty ports.
The Macao traffic, although it promised to be one of the best correctives of the evils complained of, had to be abandoned, while the Macao traffic is still vigorously carried on.
The following fact illustrates the working of the immigration.
On the 4th of September last the steamship Exmore left British Guiana, with over 600 immigrants (including children) on board, returning to their native country, India or China.
They carried with them property in cash and jewellery, which, divided among the adults, shows an average of more than £50 sterling per head.
Now these people came to the colony as indentured immigrants, and were employed in agricultural labour.
When their first contracts ran out, they either re-engaged or employed themselves in other ways by which they could make money.
At the end of ten years the Indian coolies became entitled to a free return passage, and they went back, not destitute and miserable, as when they found themselves on board ship bound for the colony, but independent and manly in their bearing, and possessed of an amount of wealth that the English agricultural labourer rarely obtains after a whole lifetime of painful toil.
The British Consul at Havana writing on the subject says:—
Chinese labour has not been altogether a success in Cuba. On some small sugar estates, and among the tobacco-fields, the Chinese coolie does well enough; but he cannot work as hard as the negro, nor indeed as the Indian coolie used to work on Jamaica estates.
Most of the Chinese brought to Cuba are at the lowest and feeblest type of the inferior races, such as swarm about Macao, Batavia, and Singapore, &c., and they are rarely of sinewy frame, nor much physical strength; nor have they the endurance of the Indian coolie.
Chinese immigration, as it is carried on here, is so faulty that it can never lead to a successful colonisation of Cuba.
The mistaken policy of the Government, as exhibited in the treatment of these colonists, must end in their refusal to come here.
The condition of obligatory and continuous servitude to which they are now subjected, if they desire to remain in Cuba, after the completion of their primitive contract, is tantamount to slavery; and it is contrary to common sense to suppose that free men will voluntarily submit to it.
The Chinese emigrant, therefore, to be induced to come here, must either do so in a fit of desperation, or he must be imposed upon; and a traffic which is based upon deceit, and which subjects him to life-long drudgery under the worst of systems, can scarcely be designated by any other name than that of Slave Trade.
THE Japanese Ambassadors with their suite, accompanied by General ALEXANDER, Sir HARRY PARKES, and Mr. ASTON, returned to London on the 9th, too late, however, for the banquet at Guildhall, to which they had been invited.
They will take their leave of Her MAJESTY next week, and leave for Paris, making a tour through France, and thence proceed to Germany and Russia.
THE report in China that the steamers of the Messageries Company were likely to call at Naples, on their way to Marseilles is incorrect; the statement that the steamers of this company and of the P. and O. Company would call at Nagasaki is also incorrect.
The Time-tables for 1873 will shortly be issued.
ADMIRAL DUPRE, Governor of Cochin China, who, as stated in our last issue, has left France on his return to Saigon, is the bearer of a letter from M. THIERS to the King of SIAM, in reply to the congratulations of the latter to the President of the Republic.
VISCOUNT BRENIER DE MONTMORAND, formerly Consul-General for France at Shanghai, has been appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Chili.
THE COOLIE TRADE.
It cannot be denied that proper regulations, which will prevent vagrancy, and which will organise labour, are absolutely necessary in Cuba, where there are labourers of distinct races and conditions; but these regulations should all have a decided tendency towards preparing these classes for speedy and complete emancipation.
The law of 28th June, 1870, does not hasten the freedom of the slaves in this island.
It virtually postpones emancipation for twenty-two years, and, in the meantime, it closes the door to any feasible arrangement for the introduction of free labourers.
The Chinese under contract here are, with, perhaps, a very few exceptions, treated pretty much as slaves, and with the compulsory engagements now before them, or the sorry alternative of seeking a home elsewhere, there can be no inducement for them to come here.
If they are treated in such a manner when everything should be done by the Spanish Government to further free emigration to Cuba, it would appear as if no means were left untried to render such emigration unpalatable and repulsive.
By the mail just received from the West Indies we have the account of another departure from Demerara of time-expired coolies.
The Rohilla, of London, was embarking 257 men, 79 women, 31 boys, 23 girls, 16 infants—total 406; Chinese, 21 men, 22 women, 6 boys, 6 girls, 3 infants—total 58; grand total, 464.
The money deposited by the coolies in the Immigration Office for transmission to Calcutta amounted to £47,642.64.
Besides this there was the usual quantity of personal jewellery, amounting in value to a considerable sum.
SIAM.
THE Committee of the Diplomatic and Consular Enquiry had before them for examination Mr. HENRY ALABASTER, who served for many years in the Consulate at Bangkok as Interpreter, Vice-Consul, and for a short time as Acting Consul, and in the latter capacity he so displeased the Foreign Office in his conduct towards the Siamese that he is now practically discharged from the service.
The Secretary of the West India Committee has addressed a letter to The Times, in which he says:—
The stoppage of Chinese immigration in 1866 requires a word of explanation.
It occurred, not because the Chinese Government withdrew its permission, or was dissatisfied with the treatment of the immigrants, but because it was induced to impose certain provisions which would have greatly increased the expense of the immigration.
In his evidence he states that the Staff at Bangkok is unnecessarily large, that a Consul, a Vice-Consul, at from £500 rising to £800, and one Assistant, at £250 rising to £400, would be a sufficient staff without Student Interpreters.
That a medical officer was not now necessary, although very essential in the early days of the Consulate.
Sir CHARLES DILKE, one of the Committee, asked:—
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Nov. 18, 1872.
THE LONDON AND CHINA TELEGRAPH.