184546.] MR. FINNIE'S FOUR YEARS IN TINNEVELLY. 93 



other kinds of produce, and then left it to take its chance ; CHAP. 



so that ifc was a mystery to him how they obtained a Cotton 1_ 



crop at all. If however they could only be induced to pay 

 more attention to the cultivation, to plant their Cotton by 

 itself and after a more regular fashion, and to gather their 

 crops in a cleaner style, the ordinary Native Cotton might 

 soon be rendered equal to Upland Georgia. There would 

 however be considerable difficulty in persuading the people 

 to adopt an improved culture and improved machinery. 

 Europeans might carry on their new methods for ages with 

 the greatest success, but the Natives would never follow 

 their example, but would consider the whole operation to 

 be a peculiar trick on the part of the Europe gentlemen, in 

 which they had no interest or concern. 



Suggestion, that by acting as a Cotton Agent, he 128 

 could induce the Ryots to adopt the new culture. 



Under these circumstances, Mr. Finnie proposed that he 

 should be allowed to act as an Agent for the produce of Cot- 

 ton. Thus, whilst, as a Government Servant, he would be 

 teaching the Ryots an improved method of culture ; he 

 would, as a Commercial Agent, be engaged in affording them 

 direct encouragement to carry his agricultural precepts into 

 practice, by offering them higher prices for the Native arti- 

 cle. He therefore proposed to set up a " Tinnevelly Cotton 

 Agency" ; and either to make large shipments of Cotton to 

 the Court of Directors, or to announce by circular to the dif- 

 ferent merchants at home, that he was prepared to supply 

 the article. 



An Agency would also increase the profits of both 129 

 Ryots and Merchants, and double the exports. 



Mr. Finnie's arguments were not unlike those of Mr. Fis- 

 cher already noticed in para 38, and may be exhibited thus. 

 The Cotton in this country goes through too many hands. 

 The Cotton is purchased from the Ryots by the Native 



