140 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PEBSIDENCT. [cHAP. V. 



that American Cotton might be profitably cultivated 

 throughout the Peninsula, excepting on the high table 



lands, where the climate might prove too 



cr'id ; and accordingly he had been endea^ 

 vouring to ascertain by actual experiments, the princi- 

 ples of the cultivation of American Cotton under the 

 conditions of an Indian soil and climate, and the nature 

 and extent of the advantages possessed by the American 

 gin over the Indian churka. Mr. Finnie, on the con- 

 trary, had expressed his belief that the American Cotton 

 could not be profitably grown in any part of India', 

 excepting perhaps in such isolated spots as enjoyed the 

 benefit of both monsoons ; and accordingly he had only 

 planted a little American Cotton at Courtalhim, and 

 Paras. 127, engaged a few Eyots to plant a little more 

 1^- at Sevacausey and Aroopoocottah, but from 



almost the very first had regarded the latter experiment 

 as a failure. Agaia, Mr. Knnie considered that the 

 American gin, however well adapted to American Cot- 

 ton, was wholly unsuited to the Indigenous Cotton; 

 first, because its working was too expensive in a country 

 p 204 where labour was so cheap ; and secondly, 



because it cut the fibre of the Native 

 Cotton. Accordingly, instead of cultivating " an exotic 



like American Cotton, in an oasis like 

 Mr™S'innie*s Courtallum," and " looking after the work- 

 Dec^'^iiw'^ ing of three miserable gins" at Aroopoo- 

 with his ' cottah, he had devoted himself to the ex- 

 MayJ'im tension of the cultivation of Native-grown 

 Parl'Eeturn Cotton, and to the improvement of its 

 are! 292^^' quality by methods already available to the 



Eyots. The point however in which Dr. 

 Wight and Mr. Pinnie came into direct collision, was 

 the order of the Court of Directors for the 6000 bales 

 of ginned East India Cotton. Mr. Knnie bought very 

 little Cotton for ginning, on the ground that the price 

 demanded by the Eyots was too high ; and he excused 

 himself from ginning to any great extent, on the ground 

 that his three hand gins at Aroopoocottah would not 

 work properly, and that he had not got his gin-house 

 and driving machinery erected at Sevacausey. These 



