1837.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 157 



Or, that the Society do sell their present incomplete collection to the highest 

 bidder, and apply the proceeds either to furnishing the Museum with subjects 

 mo'e generally interesting or with furniture indispensably necessary." 



The general opinion of the Meeting was adverse to the sale of the 

 Society's Cabinet, its preservation being no source of expense ; and 

 it \v;is to be hoped opportunities might occur of rendering it more 

 important and rich. 



Mr. Bell submitted the following communication on the subject of 

 the statistical inquiries suggested by the Royal Asiatic Society. The 

 author was thanked by the Chairman for his offer to draw up a series of 

 papers on staple products of India, and his note was ordered to be made 

 over to the Statistical Committee. 



To James Prinsep, Esq. 



Secretary, Asiatic Society. 

 Sir, 



I have read with much satisfaction a pamphlet presented at the last Meeting 

 of this Society, containing a highly interesting paper drawn up by the Right 

 Honorable Holt Mackenzie, and John Forbes Royle, Esq, " having for its 

 object the formation of a Committee of Agriculture and Trade in relation to 

 the East." 



Conceiving, with advertence to the circular, which accompanied this pam- 

 phlet, from the Right Honorable Sir Alexander Johnston, Chairman of the 

 Committee of Correspondence of the Royal Asiatic Society, that any informa- 

 tion derived from authentic sources, however incomplete, will be acceptable, I 

 feel desirous to become a humble laborer in a field in which 1 have, from my 

 arrival in India (16 years) felt peculiar interest ; by submitting to the Society, 

 for transmission to the Committee of Correspondence in England, if approved 

 and deemed worthy, the results of information 1 have endeavoured faithfully to 

 collect on the various productions of India. 



It may be deemed presumption in me to propose to myself this task, in the 

 face of so serious an imputation as is borne on the circular in question ; viz. 

 " Few in India know what England requires ; and none of the lights of modern 

 science having been applied to the agriculture of the former country (India), its 

 productive powers have, as yet, been very imperfectly developed." 



However undeniable this position is, I hope it may be conceded that there are 

 those in India who are equally ready to impart the little information they do 

 possess on the subject which is to engage the attention of the Committee of 

 Correspondence, as the members of that Committee can possibly be to collect and 

 arrange it. 



Impressed with the importance of, and great advantage likely to be derived 

 from, a share of public attention being paid to Statistics in this country, I en- 

 deavoured to draw notice to the project of forming a Society, by a communica- 

 tion which appeared in the India Gazette of the 15th or 16th of August, 1834, 

 under the signature of" A Friend to Improvement ;" and I now rejoice that, 

 although I failed in attracting attention to the scheme, the matter has been, 

 recently taken up by an able Committee of this Society, for the purpose of 

 collecting and condensing statistical information generally. 



I mention this circumstance only that I may not be thought to write for 

 writing's sake, or to offer suggestions and make promises that are frequently 

 made on the impulse of the moment when any new scheme is adopted, without 

 due deliberation, or without thoroughly understanding the nature of the obliga- 

 tion. I have studied the subject long, and the longer my reflections are brought 

 to bear on Indian Statistics, so much the greater is my desire to be of the least 

 service in endeavoring to develope the resources of this country. And the only 

 excuse I can venture to offer for having been so long a silent and useless observer, 

 is the fact experience has taught me, that to publish information of utility at 

 one's own expense iu India, is a serious and losing affair ; while, to throw away 

 information, or give it to those who do not appreciate it, is an equally unprofit- 

 able task. 



A depository has now been opened for the reception of all useful communica- 

 tions by the formation of two Committees almost simultaneously, for the same 

 purpose, and these at a distance of some 13,000 miles from each other, — a coin- 



