CHAPTER VI. 



OF THE POPULATION OF INDIA AND THE ERRONEOUS 

 OPINIONS WHICH PREVAIL REGARDING IT. 



I HAVE said some pages back, that it is popu- 

 larly believed, that there are millions of people in 

 India starving 1 for want of employment. Now this 

 is a most erroneous idea. Yet, it cannot be confined 

 to the outside public, for it seems hardly credible 

 that Her Majesty's Ministers, if fully aware of the 

 existing- state of India in relation to this question, 

 would be concluding 1 treaties with foreign powers, 

 to deprive her of her greatest want her most 

 precious wealth. The existence of the popular be- 

 lief on the subject can be very readily understood. 

 It is maintained by talkers on Indian subjects, 

 persons who seem to consider it their mission to 

 address themselves to the redress of Indian grie- 

 vances. These gentlemen are generally well inten- 

 tioned, and often do much good. But as they will 

 not always take the trouble to make themselves 

 acquainted with the subjects they take up, and, more 

 frequently, have not the best opportunities of obtain- 

 ing accurate information, they sometimes do a great 

 deal of mischief. When I first came to India, now 

 about eighteen years ago, it was customary to set 



