42 



8. Long prior to the publication of Forbes Royle's 

 r res on exhaustive work on the fibrous plants of 



India,* published in 1855, other writers had from 

 time to time called public attention to the merits of 

 our tropical fibres, and the facility with which they 

 are to be obtained. On the death of Dr. Roxburgh, 

 his valuable correspondence on this subject was 

 published in a volume, entitled, " Observations, fyc., 

 on the various specimens of Fibrous Vegetables and pro- 

 duce of India which may prove valuable substitutes for 

 hemp and flax some future day in India" From 1806 

 we continue to read of specimens of fibres from India 

 being forwarded for examination and report ; and a 

 large assortment was shewn at the London Exhibi- 

 tion of 1851. Since then, up to the present time, 

 sample consignments have frequently been importedin 

 the hope of attracting the attention of manufacturers 

 of paper, cordage and textile fabrics. Singularly 

 enough, however, with the exception of coir, jute, 

 Rheea, and perhaps one or two others, the fibres of 

 India continue to form no part of European commerce. 



9. This state of things cannot, as I have shewn, 

 why mdian fibres, be attributed to want of information. It 



with a few excep- . ., _ _ . 1 . . 



tions, form no jg rather, 1 think, due to unwillingness 



part of European 



on the part of importers to deal with 

 new commodities, and partly also, no doubt, to the 

 fact that Government has, for various reasons, been 

 unable to devote serious attention to the matter. 



* " The Fibrous Plants of India," by D. Forbes Royle. Smith, Elder 

 and Co. , London, 1855. 



