The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-10-30
COFFEE AND FRUIT exchange
COFFEE PLANTING IN BRITISH
CENTRAL AFRICA.


The average rainfall in British Central
Africa is 80 inches per annum. but in
most OF the districts IL is about IS. The
least rainfall in many districts is prob
ably Sc inches. The highest rainfall is in
parts OF the Mamie district, where II
rains some years over 100 inches. The
rain falls principally in the months of
December. January, February. March and
April. There are heavy rains at the lat
ter end of November and occasional
showers in May and June. II also occurs
often that rain falls in the hills during
August. In the hill country-and most of
British Central Africa may be described
as such-it may be said that no month
passes without shower OF rain. Never
theless, it should be broadly stated that
five months OF the year are very wet,
aoi seven months are very dry. This want
of a more general distribution of the
rainfall is not such favorable feature
as would be the more regularly distrib-
uted rain which occurs in Ceylon.
The climate in most parts of the Pro-
tectorate is agreeable, but il cannot be
described as healthy. The chief con
dition of health is comfort. Europeans
who make themselves thoroughly com
Portable and do not expose themselves
too much 10 the sun, and who lead thor
oughly temperate lives. seldom have oc-
casion to complain of their health. AL
most the only disease which causes any
anxiety is malarial fever. There is very
little dysentery and il is of mild type.
Dysentry is hardly ever met with except
in the plains. The climate is on the whole
beneficial 10 persons of a consumptive or
asthmatic tendency-very beneficial in
fact TO the latter, who often maintain bet
ter health in British Central Africa than
in other parts of the world.
The whole of the Protectorate is now
absolutely safe for European settlers, the
entirety of it being under the direct con-
troll of the Administration. The natives
are very well disposed toward the Euro
peans. There is native population of
about 100000, but this is rapidly inoreas-
ing by immigration from countries out
side the Protectorate into the more settled
districts. Labor is very cheap and fairly
abundant II is the great cheapness of
labor, however, which is the principal at
traction which British Central Africa
can offer TO coffee planters, and which
atones for its inferiority OF climate and
rainfall as compared TO Ceylon. Adult
laborers receive wages TO the extent of
about IS per month. At some periods of
the year food is given in addition, making
the cost of adult labor about As cd a
month. The labor of women and children
is paid for at lesser rates.
The price of land ranges at present
from 5s down TO Is Cd an acre, but owing
to the considerable demand for estates,
it is possible this upset price may in
crease. Land in Blantyre or in the vi
cinity of that township fetches rather
high priees-from 100 TO 120l per acre
Except within the settled and civilized
shire districts, the price OF land is hardly
likely TO exceed IS Sd an acre for some
time 10 come. AS regards the sale of
Government land. however, no estates ex-
ceeding 1900 acres in one spot are per-
mitted to be sold, and as a rule 1000 to
1000 acres is the area chosen. About
one-eighth of the land in the Protector
ate belongs TO the British South African
Company. the African Lakes Corpora
ton, and some 200 European settlers.
About three-eights OF the land is perma-
nently secured 10 the natives, and about
half of the total land area of the Pro-
tectorate is now at the disposal of the
C.a,-arrr,a,,r ,bo,,gb ,.-;,b x-iax.y 10 no :
tive expansion, it is intended TO ALLEVIATE
more than about quarter OF the total
land area.-Tropical Agrieulturist.