BEN 



235 



BEN 



About-two-thirds of the trade between the continent of 

 India and the eastern islands is carried on with Bengal. 

 Its amount in the three years from 1829-30 to 1831-32 is 

 here given : 



The trade between these islands and the presidencies of 

 Madras and Bombay, during the same years, amounted to 

 the following sums : 



The trade of Bengal with England comprehends an im- 

 mense variety of objects. The principal articles of import 

 are various metals, foreign wine and spirits, beer, woollen 

 and cotton cloths, cotton yarn, glass, and hardware ; in re- 

 turn for which the exports are, silk and silk manufactures, 

 indigo, sugar, saltpetre, and lac-dye. Of these articles indigo 

 is by far the most important, its value being equal to nearly 

 one-half the total exports to Europe from the province. It 

 is principally cultivated in Moorshedabad, Nuddea, and 

 .Ii - ore in Bengal, and Tirhoot in Bahar, where there are 

 altogether from 300 to 400 factories in operation. But little 

 indij") was exported from India before the beginning of the 

 nt century. Cotton can hardly be said to form part of 

 the export trade of Bengal, which province does not produce 

 more of that article than is required for the use of the inha- 

 bitants. During the period when all the fine muslins eon- 

 1 in Europe were exported from India, the quantity of 

 cotton grown in Bengal did not equal one-eighth of the 

 quantity worked np there into piece goods. The necessary 

 supply wa:- imported from the Dercan, the Dooab, and va- 

 rious pnrts of the Mahar.Utacounlry. In one particular year, 

 the VaKie of colton which passed through the frontier cus- 

 tom-house of Manjee at the confluence of the Gogra and 

 'i's, amounted in value to a crore of rupees (one million 

 stfrliii};), but this was an extraordinary importation, and a 

 I'.'rablft part of it was shipped from Calcutta to this 

 country. One of the most extraordinary revolutions in 

 trirle that was ever witnessed has been brought about by 

 the cotton-spinning and weaving machinery in this country, 

 previous to which the cotton piece-goods brought from India 

 ibrmevl the bulk of what was used in Great Britain. Now, 

 the comparatively small importations are all, or nearly all, 

 rc-expurted, and we in our turn have become manufacturers 

 for a great part of the population of India. The quantity 

 L'oods exported to that quarter in 1833 was sixty- 

 millions of jards, besides five million pounds of cotton twist, 

 for the use of the Bengalese weavers. This trade has grown 

 up since the opening of the intercourse with India on the 

 part of private adventurers in 1813. 



With the exception of the districts on the eastern frontier, 

 silk is grown in every part of the province of Bengal, and 

 forms a considerable part of its exports ; nearly the whole 

 quantity of raw silk that is shipped is sent to England, 



which likewise receives more than half of the silk fabrics ex- 

 ported from the province. 



Sugar, which has for a long time been largely produced 

 in this province, does not form a great proportion of its 

 exports, a fact which may be attributed to the imposition of 

 discriminating duties in favour of the sugar of other posses- 

 sions, by the only countries likely to become consumers of 

 the produce of Bengal. It is probable that the distinction 

 thus made by the legislature of this kingdom, in favour Of 

 our West Indian possessions, will not be persisted in much 

 longer, and in that case it is Confidently expected that Bengal 

 would contribute very largely to the supply of our markets 

 with an article now become one of the necessaries of life. 



Saltpetre is another article of importance in the external 

 commerce of Bengal. Nearly seven-eighths of the Whole 

 quantity shipped from the province comes to this country. 

 This branch of trade is valuable, from its furnishing a ma- 

 terial part of the freight of homeward-bound ships, the 

 weight and bulk of saltpetre being great in proportion to its 

 money value, while the opposite condition holds With regard 

 to the greater part of the productions of India, AVhert the 

 contemplated alteration shall be effected in regard to the 

 duty on sugar, this article will offer a similar advantage to 

 ship-owners, and in a much greater degree than saltpetre. 



The import trade of Bengal from England may be efc 

 peeled to fall short of its fbrmer amount, now that our private 

 merchants have direct intercourse with China. A great 

 part of what is called 'the country trade,' between Calcutta 

 and Canton, has consisted uf British manufactures, which 

 now go direct from London and Liverpool. 



From France Bengal receives wine and brandy in much 

 larger quantities than the same articles were formerly sup- 

 plied by England. The returns are principally made in 

 saltpetre and indigo. 



To Portugal cotton piece-goods form the principal ex- 

 port ; the imports consist almost wholly of bullion and wine. 

 As regards the latter article, a great alteration has occurred 

 of late years, in the substitution, by the European residents 

 in India, of sherry for Madeira wine; and, on the other 

 hand, the piece-goods of India are now mainly superseded 

 in Portugal by the cheaper products of English looms. A 

 large part of the trade of Portugal with China has been 

 carried on intermediately through Calcutta, at which port 

 the Portuguese traders take in opium and cotton, the re- 

 turns for which go direct from Canton to Portugal, or to the 

 transatlantic possessions cf that country. A trade nearly 

 similar in its character has been kept up between Bengal 

 and Brazil, since the political separation of the latter country 

 from Portugal, but this commerce has declined in amount 

 of late years. 



The United States of America take from Bengal silk, 

 piece-goods, and indigo, with some other articles of Indian 

 produce to a small amount. North America has little to 

 offer of its own produce in exchange, and consequently the 

 imports thence consist mostly of specie, or of metals and 

 manufactured goods procured from Europe. Of late years, 

 some common cotton fabrics of America, under the name 

 of ' domestics,' have found a market in Bengal. 



Bengal exports to Java piece-goods and opium, and re- 

 ceives in return copper of Japan, Banca tin, with pepper 

 and spices, the produce of Java. The trade with Sumatra 

 has nearly ceased, since the cession of Bencoolen to the 

 Dutch. To Manilla cotton piece-goods are sent ; the re- 

 turns are copper and silver from the South American mines, 

 and a few trilling articles of fragrant woods and spices, the 

 produce of the Philippine isles. 



From the Coromandel coast chank-shetls are brought, to 

 a considerable value. These shells are employed by the 

 Hindus in their religious worship, and are cut into bracelets, 



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