conversation with them on their cultivation, the question of roads &c. and found them shrewd and intelligent. I learned from them that the sugar canes have never been changed, and that they use the primitive rough stone mills for expressing the juice.
the piece. I have promised to get a better quality of canes for them to try, and to procure a few Chatgnooga steel sugar mills such as were introduced into Jamaica at the exhibition of 1891, the effect of which would probably be to increase their output of sugar by one third, for which they expressed themselves as very grateful as there is an extensive cultivation of sugar. I have requested Mr. Ford, the Director of the Botanic and Afforestation department, to procure the canes from Java or Singapore and will take measures to introduce the improved mills The Elders were quite ready to discuss matters of local interest and discussed them intelligently. For instance in talking of making a road, the necessity for which is apparent, as in wet weather to get from Castle Peak to Ping-Shan one must literally wade to one's waist sometimes, I said that either they must pay for the road, or they could make it themselves, and explained that after all if they paid for it by a local rate, the money would
3