1847-49.] DISCUSSIOlf OF DE.WKJHT AND ME. FIWIflE. 141 



matters, together with some others, are worthy of being 

 briefly narrated. 



Mr. Finnic convinced of the folly of cultivating 211 

 American Cotton in India: Dr. Wight recommends 

 his removal,— In 1847, Dr. Wight was informed that 

 two of the American Planters, who had jjr. wight's 

 returned to England from India, had re- letter, aeth 

 ported that American Cotton could only pari'. Return 

 be grown in peculiar climates, such as (I857),p.i6i. 

 those of Dharwar and Coimbatore. Accordingly, he 

 represented this fact to the Madras Government, de- 

 claring it to be a mere hypothetical deduction, based 

 on an imperfect acquaintance with the climates of 

 India ; adding however that he should have considered 

 the judgment of no importance, had he not discovered 

 that Dr. Eoyle had adopted a similar view; and had 

 not Mr. Knnie^fallen ipto the same error, and actually 

 stated in a note, that "he believed he might almost 

 undertake to eat all the American Cotton that would 

 be produced at Aroopoocottah." Accordingly, about 

 three weeks afterwardj, Mr. Finnic com- jj^ Knnie's 

 plained to the Madras Government, that letter, wth 

 Dr. Wight had ' accused the American pS'Betum 

 Planters of forming a "conspiracy," for (i8B7),p.278. 

 the purpose of discouraging the British public from 

 persevering in the cultivation of American Cotton. 

 The Madras Government however stated in reply that 

 no such communication had been received from Dr. 

 Wight. Meantime Mr. Finnie seems to have flavoured 

 his official correspondence with frequent sneers at Dr. 

 Wight's proceedings ; and on one occasion, in an official 

 application to Dr. Wight for some Ameri- p^ wight's 

 can seed, he stated that he was " more and letter, 2nd 

 more convinced of the folly of trying to p™i!'Eetorn 

 make this country (India) produce Ameri- (i857),p.i8i. 

 can Cotton." In reporting this statement to Govern- 

 ment, Dr. Wight pointed out that it involved a grave 

 error. If the expression referred to India generally, it 

 was altogether incorrect; and if it were even limited 

 to Tinnevelly and Madura, stiU it was contradicted by 

 the fact that good field-grown American Cotton had 



