3-3 



been absorbed by expensive wars, and whose time 

 and attention bave in infancy been devoted to 

 measures of self-preservation, in youth to foreign 

 conquests, and in manhood if it may yet be said 

 to have entered that period of its existence to 

 the work of consolidating- its Empire, has had little 

 opportunity of doing more. Hence it is that the 

 sources of immense wealth, existing dormantly in 

 this great peninsula, are yet so partially developed. 

 AVe have good ground for supposing that Tobacco, 

 Silk, Flax, Wool, and many other products which 

 are in such demand in Europe and America, as to 

 be sources of immense wealth to the countries from 

 whence the supplies are drawn, might be produced 

 here, of as good quality, and as cheap, if not cheaper, 

 than in any country in the whole world; and 

 amongst the number we may, with much reason, 

 place Cotton. 



But with cotton, as with all products of commer- 

 cial value, for the supply of which there is any 

 competition, assuming natural capabilities for pro- 

 ducing them in the quantity and of the quality 

 desired, there is the equally important question of 

 cost of production to be decided, before it can be 

 expected that private persons will invest their money 

 in novel speculations, especially if attended, as 

 cotton cultivation in India appears to be, with con- 

 siderable risks. But as quantity depends generally, 

 on conditions already known, the desiderata to be 

 ascertained by experiment are reduced to two, 



