176 COTTON IS THE MADBAS PBESIDENCT. [CHAP. T. 



periment under a DuiTadar, who tad been previously 

 engaged under Mr. Wroughton, and who was now to 

 be placed under Mr. Thomas, the new Collector. No 

 actual results appear to have followed the continuance 

 of the experiment ; but some remarks by Mr. Thomas, 

 in reference to the obstacles in the way of inducing the 

 Syots to cultivate American Cotton, are worthy of 

 notice and may be exhibited here. 

 258 Mr. Thomas's opinions upon the best method of in- 

 idncing the Ryots to cultivate American Cotton. — 

 Mr Tho- ^^- Thomas recommended the continuance 

 mas's lettijr, of the Collectorate Farm, because the cul- 

 1860. ''^^Pari. tivation of American Cotton would never 

 Eieturn be undertaken by the RyotSj without much 



' encouragement, and long and satisfactory 

 evidence of its feasibility. He believed that their re- 

 luctance arose from these causes, First, the national 

 apathy and dislike to enter on any new and untried 

 method or speculation. Secondly, the fact that the 

 New Orleans Cotton required a somewhat better soil 

 and moister atmosphere than the Native Cotton. 

 Thirdly, there was a pressing want of a home mar- 

 ket and demand for the American Cotton. This 

 last obstacle was the most important of all. The Na- 

 tive cultivator had neither the means nor the enterprise 

 to grow for a distant or foreign market. The Native 

 merchant would readily buy the shorter but stronger 

 fibre of the Indian Cotton, because it was considered 

 more suitable for Native looms and manufactures ; but 

 the American Cotton he would not buy. It therefore 

 remained for private European mercantile agency to 

 create a certain and ready market in the Cotton dis- 

 tricts, by buying the Eyot's Cotton every year at a fair 

 rate for cash. Such a local agency would command a 

 large supply of New Orleans Cotton, or of any other 

 commodity which the soil and climate of the district 

 were capable of producing. In addition to the creation 

 of local markets, the object in view would be greatly 

 facilitated by advances to the Eyots, personal inter- 

 course, punctual payments, and other similar arrange- 

 ments, private and mercantile, which would be practica- 



