THE COTTON TRADE. 257 



In 1781 Great Britain commenced the reexportation of 

 cotton to the continent and elsewhere. In 1815 the quantity 

 thus reexported had risen from the annual average of 

 1,000,000 Ibs. to that of 6,000,000 Ibs. In 1853 the aggregate 

 amount exported exceeded 148,500,000 Ibs., of which nearly 

 83,000,000 Ibs. were derived from the United States, and 

 more than 60,000,000 Ibs. from the East Indies. The quan- 

 tity of American cotton reexported by Great Britain to the 

 different markets of Europe, when compared with the quan- 

 tities imported, is much less than of that imported from other 

 countries a fact which suggests the superiority of the Ameri- 

 can article, and its better adaptation to purposes of fabrile 

 industry. For example, about one-tenth of the cotton im- 

 ported from the United States is reexported, against nearly 

 one-half of that imported from the East Indies. A comparison 

 between American and East Indian cotton shows a difference 

 of 100 per cent, in favor of the former ; the cotton of the East 

 Indies containing 25 per cent, of waste, while that of the 

 United States contains only 12J per cent. The fibre, also, 

 of the latter excels that of the former. 



In 1788 the efforts of the East India Company commenced 

 for the promotion of the growth of cotton, and for the improve- 

 ment of its quality, in British India ; and the first exporta- 

 tion of the article to England was made the same year. In 

 1814 the exportation amounted to 4,000,000 Ibs. ; it now 

 averages 165,000,000 Ibs. per annum. An area of about 

 8,000 square miles is said to be devoted to the culture. 



Liverpool is the great mart of the cotton trade of Great 

 Britain, and of Europe generally. Thus, while the total im- 

 ports of that article into the United Kingdom, according to 

 British authorities, in 1852, amounted to 2,337,338 bales, the 

 quantity at this port reached 2,205,738 bales. About six- 

 sevenths of the cotton received at Liverpool comes from the 



