Salsola. PENTANDRJA. DIGYNIA. 61 



Company's Territorial possessions in India for want of 

 encouragement, and enterprizing^ men. 



The two species of 5rt^/cormrt, already described, and 

 this plant, might be made to yield harrilla suflficient to 

 make soap and glass for the whole world ; at the same 

 time such a work would give bread to thousands of poor 

 starving labourers ; which no doubt would greatly pro- 

 mote population, and the consumption of the productions 

 of these fertile countries ; for, except during years of re- 

 markable drought, there is always more grain produced 

 than can be sold on the spot, I will not say than can be 

 eaten, because few of the poorer classes can, at the best of 

 times procure a sufficiency of food during the dry season 

 of the year, when there is little or no employment for 

 them. It therefore appears the more necessary to insti- 

 tute such branches of manufacture as will employ those 

 people during the dry season ; such as gathering these 

 plants and burning them for the Alkali. 



Our extensive, and I may also say impenetrable fo- 

 rests {^Jungle) which occupy such large tracts of the best 

 lands in India mi^ht by degrees be cleared, and turned 

 into potash, for the same reasons, and by the same 

 means. Certainly labour is as cheap here as in Russia, 

 where the largest quantities of that useful commodity are 

 made. In this hot climate we have many- ad vantages that 

 the Russian manufacturer must ever remain deprived of; 

 viz. immense tracts of wood of the most solid texture which 

 requires liitle labour to prepare it for the tire, on account 

 of the great drought and heat which prevails at the sea- 

 son this manuiacture could best be carried on. The same 

 heat and drought is fully sufficient to evaporate the ley, 

 without the least assistance of fire. All that could be ne- 

 cessary, would be some broad shallow vessels, exposed 

 to the sun, and wind. (In this manner would I recom- 

 mend the extraci of my new Fever hark to be prepared.) 

 But to effect such highly interesting objects, the labours 



