438 Report on the Island of Chedooba. [No. 114. 



The same, but grains of silex 

 duller and more powdery, silex 

 with them. 



Remarks. 

 Silex is mostly in coarse glitter- 

 ing grains like pounded loaf sugar, 

 shewing that it is mostly from disin- 

 tigrated and not decomposed rock. 



N. B.— The smell of Petroleum is owing to a bottle of it having been 

 sent in the box. 



For all agricultural purposes these soils may be pronounced so nearly 

 the same, that, in the same climate, the difference would only lie in the 

 amount of produce being a little more or less on the one than on the 

 other. The Chedooba soil contains but one ingredient, Sulphate of Soda, 

 not found in the American, but this is in extremely minute quantity, 

 and moreover seems favourable to the growth of cotton, for the soil of 

 the Tinnevelly district, which produces the Madras, Bourbon cotton, con- 

 contains it, as does also that of Singapore, on which very fine Bourbon 

 cotton is grown. 



Captain Halstead's remarks on this soil are as follows. 

 'No. 11, represents the more sandy soil of the eastern circles. It was 

 taken from the neighbourhood of Meugbreng. The circle of that name 

 with the one just noticed (Mrooraa) are the most populous on the island, 

 the greatest quantity of exports being produced in these, and chiefly 

 on this soil — a more productive one than its appearance would seem to 

 warrant.' 



The importance of this curious soil to America we well know. It may 

 be hoped that ours may be ere long turned to account and that many 

 other spots on the islands and coast, from Akyab to Sandoway, may be 

 found to possess it. From difference of climate, as far as this may 

 affect the cotton, there will be, I trust, little to fear, for we know that 

 the dry months allow time enough for the production of all kinds of 

 cotton, some of very fine quality, on the main land of Arracan ; and it 

 is mentioned as a product of Chedooba by Captain Halstead. Very fine 

 Sea Island has been produced on Saugor Island, and the late Mr. Kydd 

 gave me a very beautiful sample of it, which he said was grown there 

 1 upon a sort of black sandy soil ' but I could not obtain a specimen of it. 

 I venture to suggest that if a small quantity of the Sea Island seed was 

 sent down to the Commissioner, accompanied with a brief notice, to be 

 translated into the Mug language, and distributed with the seed, stating 

 what it was, its great value when carefully picked, and that no sort of 

 extra rent or claim would be made for this kind of cultivation, we might 

 hear of it again ? Small prizes might be offered to those who produced 

 the best samples. Henry Piddington. 



