290 A. D. 1794. 



1794, February 1" — Before the Eaft-India company acquired the 

 government of Bengal, the quantity of raw filk imported from that coun- 

 try was only about 80,340 pounds (of fixteen ounces *) annually. But 

 after they became the rulers of that great and fertile country, it was ne- 

 ceflary to unite political confiderations with commercial principles, and 

 to (tudy the advantage of the millions of people fubjeded to them. 



The demand for filk to be wrought up in the manufadures of this 

 country was then very great ; but it was found that the filk, wound in 

 the manner pradifed in Bengal, was only fit for fewing filks and fmall 

 articles of haberdafliery ; and the confumption of it was trifling in com- 

 parifon of the quantity that could be furnifhed. 



The company, defirous, not only of providing employment for the 

 people of Bengal, but alfo of rendering the Britifh manufacture of filk 

 goods independent of foreigners for the fupply of the raw material, in 

 as great a proportion as thole of wool and cotton were, refolved to intro- 

 duce the Italian method of winding in their Indian territories, and, 

 after encountering many difficulties and lofl^s, finally accomplifhed the 

 object. About the year 17S5 the Bengal filk had fo far eftabliflied it- 

 felf in the Britifli market, that the importations of raw filk from Italy 

 were very much reduced, and thofe from Aleppo, Valentia, and fome 

 other countries, were almofi: annihilated. 



The thrown filk, or organzine, with which during many centuries 

 Italy has fupplied the mofi: of Europe, fi;ill continued to be brought 

 from that country in great quantities, though the demand for all other 

 filks was much diminiflied, when the cotton fabrics came into univerfal 

 ufe among the ladies, and acquired fuch an afcendancy, as almofi: abol- 

 iflied the ufe of filk in gowns, cloaks, &c. Unfortunately for the cul- 

 tivators in Bengal, this revolution in fafhion took place at the very time 

 when the mulberry plantations had become extenfive, and the arrange- 

 ments for the filk trade were fo well matured and eftablifiied as to afford 

 a regular fupply of the commodity in greater perfection, and at lower 

 prices, than formerly. 



In this difagreeable ftate of the trade, the company confidering that 

 the throw mills in this country are often at a fi:and for want of employ- 

 ment, and upon the whole throw only about 50,000 pounds of filk in 

 a year, which is not equal to the eigth part of the thrown filk imported, 

 now refolved to employ the throwfters of this country to throw fuch 

 part of the Bengal filk lying in their warehoufes as fhould be judged fit- 

 tefi: for making into organzine, whereby the importation of filk in that 

 fiage of the manufacture might be leffened, employment would be creat- 

 ed for the poor at home whom the change of fafliion had thrown idlef , 



* In the filk. trade there is a great pound of 24 of Spltallields alone 4,500 looms were fliut up in 



ounces and a fmall pound of 16. the year 1793, which, when in full work, gave em- 



f It was afcertained, that in the neighbourhood ployment to iSjOco people, of whom above a half 



were 



