llage, surrounded by gardens, where some Chinese
had settled a few years ago and tried to make a living by supplying
ships with vegetables. They did not find the venture successful, and
have left the district. We passed several small tramways running at
right angles into the bush, with little huts adjoining, built of
rushes and thatched with sugar-cane. In these the men lived when sent
down to cut timber for the fences, furnaces, and sleepers for the
tramway, as it was pushed further and further up through the jungle.
'Sugar is a very expensive crop to start, for the work of clearing the
jungle is most laborious, and therefore costly. The expense of
cutting down timber for the first rough cropping is 10_l._ per acre.
The complete clearing and grubbing of roots for the purposes of
ploughing and permanent cultivation is not less than 20_l._ an acre.
The cost of clearing alone is thus 30_l._ an acre. The machinery of
the mills, of Scotch manufacture, cost more than 60,000_l._ Some 900
acres have been brought under cultivation. The total capital already
expended may be taken at 200,000_l._ The yield of sugar is from three
to five tons per acre. The price may be taken at 20_l._ per ton. The
production of sugar last year was 2,050 tons.'

'The successful results of labour imported from Java are a special
feature at Mourillyan. We heard an excellent character of the Javanese
workpeople. They are sturdy, and most docile. They are imported for a
term of three years, under strict engagements with the Dutch
Government. An advance of two to three pounds is given to each workman
before he leaves home. His fare costs 6_l._ to Queensland. His wages
are 30_s._ a month and found. The secret of success has been the
adoption of a system of supervision by Javanese sarongs. Javanese are
employed to drive locomotives, and for the management of the boilers
and most of the machinery in the mills.'

The proprietors of the plantation have 5,000 acres cleared already,
and will clear more as soon as they can raise sufficient capital. They
have already invested 250,000_l._ in the land, 20,000_l._ in the tram,
and 40,000_l._ in the mills, independent of the money they will
require for all sorts of contemplated improvements and additions. The
process of crushing is just the same as we saw in Trinidad. The carts
bring in the cane from the field, and it is passed through a series of
rollers to extract the juice, which is pumped up to a higher floor,