The rash for tea land in the tinues unabated, and forcibly reniinds one of the furore which used to follow the finding of 1a good bit of gold in California, Calcutta apently is mad after the Dooars, and reeling.. Gentlemen with roving commis ions and unlimited cash are rushing about munda 1e office of the Collector of the Dooars in search of land for tea, and are
Julpigorie with applications for cultivation leases. This is all very nice and hopeful. There is no doubt whatever that the climate and soil of the Western Dooars are admirably suited for tea, and that the plant grows wonderfully well there, but we cannot help thinking that the planting of tea in the Dooars is being decidedly overdone, and that some of the pioneers, if they are not in possession of a large capital, are bound to come to grief, and for the following reasons. Firstly, the rate charged by Government for timber is exceedingly high; secondly (and the most inn portant point of all), the supply of Inbour, if Some ten or dozen gardens are opened almost at once, cannot possibly keep pace with the demand, and it is just on an ample supply of labour that the success or the reverse of ten cultivation in the Dooars must depend. Without plenty of Labor to keep the jungle down during the rains for the next few years, there is, in our opinion, a great probability of a panic taking place with regard to tea property la the Dooars, auch ax happened years ago in Darjeeling and the other Indian fea districts. The result of such a panic will be that the honest pioneers of tea in that direction will loge their all, the speculators will as arulo make money, and those who succeed in both will realise ultimately a good income from the gardens they will buy for a mere song while the panic continues.—Darjeeling News.
In the estimates: for the Civil Service for the year ending March, 1877, apes item of "£10,400 for the Yionan Mission, to be repaid by the Chinese Government." Costa generally follow the verdict, but we trast in this ease the verdict will follow the costs Sir John Davis,. who, as our readers are Tras one ofthe éaliat of oar in China, been the first Governor of Hongkong after the conclusion of the Nanking Treaty of 1842, namely, from 1844 to 1848, has, we are glad to learn, founded a scholarship of £50, tenable for two years, for the encouragement of the study of the Ghinese language at Oxford. We trust that this will bea first step to turning to practical established Professorship University; and should very much like to jovernment following in the same Messrs, Spencer and Wolif write on the 18th April:—Our market for Manchester goods has been dull in the extreme during the past week. Some enquiries have been made for special goods, but without resulting in any business worthy of note, the prices offered being as a rule far too low to tempt holders. The quotations we give below are almost nominal, being for the most part merely an indication of the prices that would be accepted. Grey Shirtings.—9/10/12-Ibs. are. quoted at Tis, 2.15 to is. 2.24 for standard chops; 8}-Ibs, Horse and Jockey, Tls. 1.67 a 1.68; Red Ram, 'Tis, 1.68; Red Pheasant, Tls. 1.63 a 1.64 5 Pillar, Tis, 1.50 a 1.51. 1'-Cloths.—Good T-lbs.' Mexicans have been in some.request at Tls. 1.95 a 1.98.. English Drills are quite out of favor. Malwa Opium,—This market has likewise ruled very dull since the date of our last advices, but, although the business passing is small, rates are well maintained. Good to best hard drug is worth Tis, 480 a Tls. 482, and soft Tis, 422 to Tls, 428 per picul, according to quality.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.