STAPLES OF AM . MKIilCA. 45 



land, but people have every disrelish to it. Corn has 

 not made up the supply. 



The only causes to be found for the falling oft' in the 

 shipments and in price, (as it has not arisen from over 

 production), are the imports of rice and paddy from Arra- 

 can, Patna, and Benares. In Arracan, taking the bulk, 

 the Arracan rice is some 500 per cent cheaper than 

 American rice in their different countries. 



The Arracan sells in England for 10s. or $2 the cwt. 

 .can " " " 18 or [ " 



Therefore it is, although the American brings 80 per 

 cent, better prices, and freight must also be lower, that 

 the Arracan rice is ousting the American. 



Why the East Indians are able to undersell the Ameri- 

 can planter, will be readily perceived from the following, 

 which I have already stated in the Charleston Courier, 

 &c., viz: the rice planter in India, with his wife and 

 family, labor in the field. The economy of the people is 

 striking. The man's clothing consists of a strip of c 

 cotton that passes between his legs, one end attach 

 fur.-, tin- other' end behind, to a string that surrounds his 

 \\aist. Twi> {litres of such clothing, of the best descrip- 

 tion, \\iii ia-t a couple of years ; and all his year's cloth- 

 ing will not cost .">) cents. The diet of the people is 

 i which sometimes they use in raw state, simply 

 'I in a little water), which, when cooked, they eat 

 with some few cooked vegetables mixed up with pepper, 

 B, huldee ('_ r in.L r <T), and clarified butter. Sometimes, 

 I of vegetables they have fish, and it' a goat be 

 killed in the village, thru there may be flesh instead of 

 and fish. A man may support himself for 50 



