In tion by the Connaittee appointed to collect an dues al exhibit for (he St. Louis gentlemen 1 called upon Hine. by one we re-embark, the lamps ar Puhted, "r'e curtains drawn, and the vintter of knives and forks comes a3 a The joilowing is the translation of an ing article which recently appeared in the "Soerabjasc!
Handelsblad."
may be mentioned t the "Dragon" ferred to is the chop of the well-knowr thal welcome prelude to the dinner hour. Over! the Tabled stories and jeste are exchanged, Mth he For Mijn-Boschen Tand-after the boys have informed us that honwexploitatie in whi there i nething eat we all] Me 6 whourn to the Be gext of the! three houseboat 'a grame-phone which discourses all the latest songs and marches, and listening to it inspires 4 desire for imitation. A circle is made and ones and revi tions ance-ed each other with for ws in between, the chem-es Scotch song being the favourite melodies, "It is long iduight when we dispeise and seek our difreit bunks, and three or four cheerful souls, impelled nu sleepy nod, continue to celebrate anti) four oclock in the morn Bright suns me, pouring in through the dens, wakes us to ats ier splendid day The eM CONNEC ohel with slew sparkling like from the villages far and' come the of dogs wicks Labourers re m the fields, and from thei: cheerful voices and mirthful Javghter we judge them to be happy and contented. Some of us have a dip in the stinging cold water, and then yo ashore, gun in hand, and spend an enjoyable and protituble two hours before" breakfast. S-veral birds are shot, and from the Chinese we buy quantities of fresh eggs for a few copper cash, These when boiled are delicious " quite different from the me article sold as fresh in the Shave hai markets. fast we separate and go inv rections river the hills, and for each one of us there plenitude of health and change in th fresh air und the bright, attractive scenery. 'The appetites created by the ramble ale ious, and quite unexpected demon'
de upon the hinders. In the ce, after the usual hour given over joke and slumber, we hold a sports meeting, and the running, jumping, and shot th a quality hich 2 made cen the Dordtsche, de Koninklyke and nell Company in regard to the sale oil in Java, with a view to reducing sapphos in the i he demand and raising. pri h, for instance, of the Dordisehe Petroleum had in April 1902 gone 200 per two tins.
rangetnent, or, as it was called, The Trust ® worked very" successfully and raised prices all round by about f. 1 per 2 tins, indeed things began to look very tiny for the firms interested in the peifolcum trade in Java. However, this agreeable state of affairs unfortunately did not last long as an outsider, whom they had deemed incapable of injuring them and therefore to be left out, The Trust " with safety, rather astonished them by introducing considerable supplies and thus reducing the profits to be divided amongst the companies more and more.
This fourth company which brought its petroleum on the market under the clop of "Dragon" was quite aware of its strength, and knew that owing to its superior quality it was finding more and nwre purchasers in all directions.
riber 1902 the above mentioned "Trust" proposed to the proprietors of the "Dragon" old that they should join witistied with than they had been able to n that independent position:
1 the Dragon " politely declined proposal, mumating that' they de-to remain free. This, from their view, nivst reasumable and int reply brought forth a declaration combined companit the ard to the ubject of the meeting, lies spoke of the el which the ailment of himself and De. Gil committee to fre ther the int hibit for Eh the proposed eilucnwid of Che encour:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.