48 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



Before the invention of spinning machinery in 

 1787, the demand for cotton wool in England was 

 comparatively small. In the seventeenth century we 

 obtained our trifling supply wholly from Smyrna and 

 Cyprus. In 1786-7 we imported 19,900,000 Ibs., 

 viz. : 5,800,000 Ibs. from the British West Indies, 

 9,100,000 Ibs. from the French, Spanish, Portuguese, 

 and Dutch colonies, and 5,000,000 Ibs. from Smyrna 

 and the rest of Turkey. Shortly after that memora- 

 ble period in the history of our national manufactures, 

 the annual consumption of cotton increased six-fold, 

 and it has been progressively augmenting ever since. 



The average annual import for the six preceding 

 years has been 777,372 packages each bale weigh- 

 ing about r?^ or 3 cwt.* 



From all corners of the world does this raw mate- 

 rial flow in upon us, and with expedition scarcely 

 credible is converted into textures which are re- 

 conveyed to the countries of production. 



The value of cotton goods exported from Great 

 Britain during four years, stands thus : 



-Piece Goods. Yarn or Twist. 



1828. . . .13,649,012. . . .3,595,405 

 1829.... 13,558,132.... 3,976,874 



1830 15,294.923 4,133,741 



1831.... 13,282,185 3,975,019 



All these are real mercantile values. The official 

 value at the custom-house is nominal and invariable. 

 In 1792 the official value of cottons exported was 1,892.329 

 In 1830 ditto ditto . . 37,269,432 



The quantity of manufactured cottons exported to 

 the East Indies alone in 1828, stood thus : 



Yards. Value. 



To the East-India Company's territo-1 Q - ccr ooc j?i on< coi 



ries, Ceylon, and China . . } 37,566,836 1,394,68 



To the East-India islands, Sumatra,&c. 4,680,370 153,238 



* Some few packages come from South America "of smaller 

 weight. 



