PREFACE.

THIS volume is an attempt to give effect to the above resolution so far as regards Bengal, and the several Lieutenant-Governorships and Provinces directly subordinate to the Governor-General in Council. It obviously formed no part of the intention of the Governor-General in Council that it should contain advice, or directly suggest practical conclusions to those interested in obtaining from India a supply of Cotton for the English market.

The work is a compilation, a digest of recorded evidence on the subject of the cultivation and commerce of Cotton in India, and the object kept constantly in view was, to present the reader with an analysis as exhaustive, and a summary as complete, of all available information. as the shortness of the time assigned for the execution of the work would admit of. In order to present this information to those who might require it, in the most convenient form, the following arrangement was adopted, in the belief that it was best calculated to facilitate reference to localities, to dates, and to subjects, with the least practicable risk of needless repetition.

The book is divided into three Parts: the first Topographical, the second Chronological, the third of the nature of an Appendix.

PART I. constitutes the Hand-book properly so called: in it is arranged, under the head of each district, all the information obtainable relating to that district, as a Cotton-producing area. Section I., of this Part, treats of the Lower Provinces of Bengal, and includes also the South-Eastern Dependencies, British Burmah, &c. Each of the Commissioner's divisions has been taken by itself, and each of the districts into which these are fiscally sub-divided, is separately described as fully

as the available means permitted. The same plan has been followed in Section II., of which the North-West Provinces form the subject, and also, as far as possible, in Section III., which is made to include all those parts of British India above indicated as forming the subject matter of this volume, and which, at the same time, could not conveniently be brought into the former Sections. Oude, for instance, topographically belonging to Section II., is placed in Section III., because no mention is ever made of it in the official returns, &c., referring to the North-West Provinces.

PART II. contains the history of the different experiments that have been instituted by Government, or by private individuals, on the improvement of Cotton cultivation in India. The narrative is condensed, and this section claims to be but an abridged sketch of the principal trials made: short accounts of many of those made on a smaller scale finding a place in Part I.

Here, too, will be found some account of what has been done in reference to the cleaning of Cotton and its preparation for the market, and of some of the attempts to invent, improve, and adapt machinery for this purpose.

PART III. consists of extracts, selected from published works, or official papers, which appeared to the compiler to be of interest in connection with the subject of Cotton growing in India; either intrinsically so, or else important from the authority attaching to the names of their authors. These could not conveniently have found a place either in Part I., or Part II., they have been therefore placed by themselves, and arranged in sections under different heads as "Chemical Papers," &c.

Such of the documents as it was thought practicable to condense, without materially lessening their value, are given in the form of abstracts, and those are re-printed in extenso, to which an abridgment might not have done justice.

It was however found that there still remained much which did not appear naturally to find a place in any of these three Sections, notwithstanding that it seemed of considerable interest in connection with the question of the supply of Cotton obtainable from the Bengal Provinces. An introductory chapter has been accordingly prefixed, in which this matter is discussed the more appropriately, as it mainly has reference to such general questions as are alike applicable to all parts of the immense area which forms the subject of the work.

COTTON HAND-BOOK.

INTRODUCTION.

BEFORE proceeding to treat in detail the more obvious and specific subject of this Hand-book, I have thought that it would be useful to present, in the form of an Introduction, a brief abstract of certain facts, which, although long known, are not universally recognized, and the conclusions legitimately deducible from which, although more than once clearly pointed out, are not very generally accepted in practice. This seems the more desirable, as there appears to be some reason for supposing that on the practical application of some of them, the future success or failure of the Indian Cotton Trade may turn. A knowledge, moreover, of these facts, and an opportunity of forming an opinion on the conclusions which they suggest, is an almost necessary preliminary to a correct appreciation of the detailed information to follow. will be taken in the following order :

They

1st. The general question of the state of the Indian Cotton Trade, past and present.

2nd. The prospects of the trade, and specially whether the cultivation in India of Indigenous Cotton for the European market can be made profitable.

3rd. Some of the difficulties which have been supposed to impede the profitable cultivation of Cotton in India.

1st.-THE STATE OF THE INDIAN COTTON TRAde.

In the year 1783 it is stated* that 114,133 lbs. of East Indian Cotton were sent to England.

64

Reports and Documents in regard to Cotton Wool, &c.," 1836.

B