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hardly existed in India—that was to some extent due to the 
climate. Roads generally were good, such as they saw having 
often been constructed in the first place for military purposes. 
Bombay headed the lists of ports, its foreign trade being 
£68,000,000, against Calcutta £59,000,000. The total exports 
of the whole country in 1887 were £92,000,000, against 
£71,000,000 of imports. English cotton goods constituted in 
value one half of the whole import trade of India, increasing 
in yards from 1,300 millions to 2,100 millions between 1878 
1887. Large as that increase was, it would have been larger 
still but for the rapid growth throughout the country of the man- 
ufacture of all but the finer qualities. In the ten years from 
1876, the number of mills nearly doubled, and at the close of 
last year, there were 97 mills at work, contaiming 2,375,739 
spindles, 18,840 looms. A new and largely increasing export 
trade in yarns had been developed with China and other countries, 
which rose from £1,000,000 in 1877, to £4,200,000 in 1887. It 
was impossible for them to visit some of the mills, as they did in 
Bombay and Baroda, &c., without feelings of considerable 
interest and curiosity. ‘They found that the removal of the 
protective tariffs had in no way injured Indian manufacture, but 
a great native industry—a most important matter, from every 
point of view in a country like India—had been steadily develop- 
ing. The advantage to the manufacturing trade of Kngland by 
the removal of those duties had been great, but to India itself it 
had been greater.” 
On the much vexed silver currency question he would only 
say that in the general trade of the country, ‘‘ the treacherous, 
the debilitated, and ever-depreciating rupee’’ formed a disturb- 
ing element unknown in this country, except of course to traders 
with silver-using countries, which upset all calculations, harassed 
the foreign trade, crippling alike the finances of the Goverment 
and the incomes of its English officers. 
The question naturally suggested itself in conclusion, were 
the natives favourably disposed towards us and our Government ? 
‘‘Ts India free? And does she wear her plumed and jewelled 
turban with a smile of peace, or do we grind her still?” 
Were they contented with their lot? Was there any awaken- 
ing in their social, intellectual, and political life? To each of 
those questions his answer was emphatically “ Yes.’’ They 
never heard from any English speaking native, or any naturalised 
resident in India, a whisper of disloyalty to their Queen and 
Constitution, but they frequently had assurances of improved 
condition and contentment, and of the belief that they were 
associated with a power that was strong enough to dare to be 
tolerant. It was true that, judged by their own standard, the 
condition of the average native was not good. His education 
