150 SIXTH RKPORT 1836. 



be most conveniently and ceconomically ascertained and recorded; and 

 to encourage and facilitate all inquiries directed to those objects. 



Numerous illustrations of these national considerations were quoted 

 from Mr. Royle. It appeared that so lately as 1784, an American 

 vessel arrived at Liverpool with eight bags of cotton, which were seized, 

 under the belief that America did not produce that article ; and now her 

 produce is four hundred millions of pounds, the greater part of which 

 is consumed in Great Britain ; and it Is remarkable, that the native 

 country of the Sea Island cotton is supposed to be Persia. The 

 Carolina rice, which sells at 5d. per lb., whilst the best India rice sells 

 at only 2^d. or 'id., originated in a single bag of East India rice given 

 by Mr. C. Dubois, of the India House, to an American trader. All 

 the coffee of the West Indies originated in a single plant in the hot- 

 houses of Amsterdam. 



Of new or little-known articles lately introduced from India, and 

 which are of the utmost importance to our manufacturing interests, it 

 was stated that in 1792, Mr. Brown, the resident at Cossimbazar, told 

 the council at Calcutta, that if it should think proper to send a few cwts. 

 of lac to Europe, it might be procured in Calcutta. The annual con- 

 sumption in England is now estimated at six hundred thousand lbs. 

 Catechu was so much neglected that its price veas as low as 2s. per 

 cwt. ; it was discovered to be useful in dying cotton a peculiar brown, 

 and is also employed in tanning ; and its price is steady at 40s. per 

 cwt. Royal safflower is another article of curious illustration. Ten 

 years since only Turkey safflower was knov/n, and now East India alone 

 commands the market. Rape-seed, recently introduced, has, it is im- 

 derstood, produced a profit to one mercantile house of £40,000. Flax 

 or linseed, for which we are dependent on Russia for 50,000 tons an- 

 nually, was first imported from India in 1832 : it was found to be better 

 than the Russian, and the crushers gave 15s. per cwt. more for it. The 

 importation has amazingly increased, and England will doubtless ere 

 long look to her own dependencies for the total supply of her wants. 

 In India even, some kinds of Indian iron have recently been sold at 

 more than double the price of the English ii'on. The rapid increase of 

 the importation of castor and cocoa-nut oils was mentioned ; and spe- 

 cimens of cocoa-nut fibre, as a valuable, cheap, and healthy substitute 

 for horse-hair, in stuffing mattresses, &c.,were exhibited. Many other 

 articles were enumerated as of great value to the manufacturers of En- 

 gland ; gums, resins, varnishes, oil and cordage, plants, &c., &c., besides 

 articles of the Materia Medica, such as senna, rhubarb, &c., &c., &c. 



On Spade Husbandry in Norfolk. By Dr. Yelloly. 



On the Effect of Railroads on Intercommunication. By Dr. Lardner. 



The subjects discussed by Dr. Lardner, were the relative numbers of 

 persons travelling now by railroads, and formerly by coaches, between 

 the same points ; the general proportion being as 4 to 1, a result due 



