518 FOURTH BULLETIN OF [1846. 



extended in Bengal within the last five years, and since 1843, in Province Wellesley, 

 (in Malacca Straits,) Ceylon, and Madras, particularly the last. In the Province 

 Wellesley planters have entered largely into the speculation of sugar growing 

 within tlie last year, from the East India Company having offered great I'acilities 

 in the shape of very cheap lands. They have an abundant supply of Chinese 

 laborers at very low rates, who are acquainted witii the cultivation and growth of 

 sugar in their own country. Their prospects arc said to be very good, as the land 

 is very rich, and they are near the scacoast ; but the country is overrun with ele- 

 phants, tigers, and other varmints. Tiiere are also a few estates in Penang and 

 Singapore island. The quality of British Indian sugars is much better than for- 

 merly, as capitalists have erected largo refineries and boiling-houses with all the 

 latest improvements. In Bengal and Madras, and some parts of Bombay, they 

 purchase the raw sugar or the cane from the cultivators, and grind and manufac- 

 ture it into the different qualities to suit the English markets. I have no doubt 

 Ih.t the English in India in a few years will be able to sell their sugars in England 

 at four cents a pound with a good profit, as labor is very low and living cheap. The 

 estates in Ceylon are only sufficient to supply the demand for that island. 



The cultivation is also much extending in Luconia, under the Spanish GoTern- 

 nient, who are offering facilities to capitalists to grow the cane. Land is sold 

 cheap, labor is low, and living very moderate. The only drawback is the want of 

 roads and partial insecurity of the Government. Most of the Manilla sugar goes 

 to England, New South Wales, and the British possessions in that quarter. Many 

 cargoes of the Siam sugar are sliipped to Bombay, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea, 

 and much of it goes to China. The sugar of Java goes principally to Holland, some 

 to England, and a few cargoes to America and New South Wales. That of Cochin 

 China and Burmah finds its way to China or Bengal, where it is remanufactured. 

 The Mauritius sugars are of very strong quality, and almost entirely consumed by 

 the English refiners. The Chinese sugars are principally brought to Canton from 

 the islands of Formosa and Honan, and the province of Fukein. The consump- 

 tion in China is very great, but it may be often bought in Canton for from three 

 dollars and a half lo seven and a half per hundred. The latter price is for Canton 

 refined or rock candy, which is of a strong quality. If the cost of freight were not 

 so high it would leave a fair margin of profit for shipping to England and America. 

 The sugars of Bourbon are shipped to France. The cultivation of sugar is not at 

 present extending in Java, from the most of the lands susceptible of cultivation 

 being already under culture, and from the monopolizing selfish policy of the Dutch. 

 Tobacco. — This article is of universal consumption in the east, and is grown in 

 all the islands, and in China, India, and other countries eastward of the Cape. 

 The best quality is grown in Manilla and Persia. The Manilla is sold entirely in 

 the shape of cheroots, and it has the complete monopoly of the eastern market 

 among Europeans and iheir descendants. The Persian is principally sold among 

 the Arabs of Arabia, the Red Sea, Egypt, and Judea. It is of very fine quality. 

 An account of the cultivation and preparation may bo seen in Porter's Tropical 

 Agriculturist. The tobacco of Trinchinopoly, in Madras, isjalso very fair, and is 

 much used in the manufacture of cheroots, the consumption of which is large 

 among certain classes in the Presidencies of .Madras and Bombay and the island of 

 Ceylon. The tobacco of Java is not so good in quality, and the consumption prin- 

 cipally confined to that country and to a small extent in China. The tobacco of 

 China is of very inferior quality, very weak, and of unpleasant flavor. Tobacco is 

 used throughout the east in combination with the areca nut, betel leaf, and other 

 stimulating articles, as a masticatory. They are ten times filtiiier than tobacco 

 chewers. If small shipments of tho best American leaf tobacco were made to 

 China, at low prices, it might, in the course of a few years, become a considerable 

 export to that country. The East Indies at this lime offer also a very good open- 

 ing for the cigars manufactured in our different eastern towns of Spanish tobacco. 

 They ought never to be shipped, however, even of the best qualities, at a higher 

 price than tweWe dollars per thousand. An article between eight and ten dollars 

 would, I am convmced, it the quality were fair, always meet with a fair demand 

 in India, Ceylon, Mauritius, the Cupe, and China. The price of the beet Manilla 

 cheroots is seldom under eleven dollars per thousand. 



Much of the tobacco of Java govs to Holland in baskets. The Burmese tobacco 

 ia of very good quality. 



