128 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [2ND. SEASON. 



CHAP, his European Agent, before he himself makes his contract 



' with the Broker. The contract is made for such a quantity 



of Cotton of such a quality ; and of course the very lowest 

 sum is fixed. The Chitty agrees to the contract ; knowing 

 that the price fixed is insufficient to secure the quality con- 

 tracted for ; but knowing also that when the time for deli- 

 very arrives, the Agent must take just what he, the Chitty, 

 chooses to deliver. In other words, the Chitty knows that 

 the European Agents have their engagements to meet ; that 

 they have made all their arrangements for shipment ; and 

 that perhaps they have a ship waiting, and presses lying 

 idle. Under such circumstances he delivers his Cotton to 

 the Agent, who has merely to receive it. The Agent ex- 

 amines the Cotton by plucking out a handful and letting 

 the bundle pass. Perhaps, from caprice or ill humour, he 

 rejects a bundle just as good as those he has taken. Then 

 the Chitty gets angry, and orders his people to stop deliver- 

 ing, as the gentleman will not take the Cotton. The Agent 

 then takes the rejected bundle to induce the Chitty to pro- 

 ceed with the delivery. All however depends upon the state 

 of the market. If it is brisk, and the Chitty finds that 

 other Agents are in want of Cotton to make remittances 

 with, he stops all rejection of inferior bundles, by threaten- 

 ing to throw up the contract ; and then the Agent, or rather 

 the young man employed by the Agent to receive the Cot- 

 ton, is compelled to soften his tone, and to entreat the great 

 Chitty to let him have the Cotton, as his employers will find 

 fault with him if he does not get on with the shipment. If, on 

 the contrary, the market is dull, the Chitty is not quite so 

 independent. Some Cotton is rejected in bulk, and finally 

 put on one side. But still the Chitty is prepared even for 

 this emergency. Within a day or two the Cotton is loaded 

 on the bandies, and marched round the town ; and then 

 comes in fresh from the country, and is all taken as a very 

 good article. The consequence of all these proceedings is, 



