1847 48. J MR. FINNIE'S FOUR YEARS IN TINNEVELLY. 139 



what lias been said before. He reiterated that the Agents CHAP. 



at Tuticorin did not take the proper measures with the Na- 



tives themselves for securing the best Cotton ; but added 

 that this was not so much the fault of the Chitties, who J?J: s le jj' 

 were screwed down to the lowest possible price, as it was JJS. ?Si. 

 the fault of the English merchants and manufacturers atSfSj* P . 

 home, who had not taken the necessary steps for creating a 

 sure market for the superior article. He also forwarded a 

 sketch of a lever press which he had invented for pressing 

 the Cotton into a small compass for packing ; the elasticity J? r ; 

 of the fine clean Cotton being so great, that the packing Jjj 

 cloth was frequently torn, and a considerable loss sustained 

 by the exposure of the Cotton, and the collection of trash. 3 

 This press may be thus described. It consisted of two up- 

 rights securely set in masonry, with a cross beam at the top. 

 Between the uprights was a box, with fixed sides, but move- 

 able ends at the top and bottom. Suspended from the cross 

 beam was a moveable beam, which could be forced down 

 upon the box by means of levers, acted on either by men or 

 heavy weights. The Cotton was placed in the box and 

 pressed into a bale by the cross beam, which was forced 

 down by the levers. Mr. Finnie requested that this press 

 might be constructed immediately at the Government 

 Arsenal ; but it never appears to have been completed, as 

 Mr. Finnie subsequently represented that he was engaged 

 in preparing another simple press for Native use. 



Mr, Finnie's sample of Churkaed Tinnevelly 196 

 Cotton equal to American. Towards the close of the 

 third season, Mr. Finnie made an announcement to the 

 Madras Government, which serves to place the character of 

 his whole proceedings in the strongest possible light. It 

 has already been seen that Mr, Finnie had opposed himself 

 equally to the cultivation of the American Cotton and the 

 use of the American gin ; and that he professed to devote 



